Room 215
by Lehrain
Summary: At Hotel Dusk, secrets surround the guests and employees. In a single night, as the mystery unravels, Kakashi discovers the connection between these secrets and a truth that has evaded him for three years. "Room 215, the Wish room…Maybe there's some truth to its name after all. I had a few of my wishes granted last night, but I can't be greedy. Someone like me has a lot of wishes."
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

**Room 215**

**Author: **Lehrain

**Rating: **T (violence, language, repeated alcohol use)

**Spoilers: **All Hotel Dusk spoilers and some Naruto spoilers

**Genre: **Mystery/Hurt/Comfort

**Main Characters: **Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Obito, Uzumaki Naruto, Orochimaru, Hyuuga Hinata

**Secondary Characters: **Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Sarada, Tsunade, Sarutobi Konohamaru, Deidara, Haruno Sakura, Chiyo, Jiraiya, Hanare

**Ships: **NarutoxHinata, SasukexKarin, ObitoxRin, KakashixHanare, OrochimaruxTsunade

**Summary: **At Hotel Dusk, secrets surround the guests and employees. In a single night, as the mystery unravels, Kakashi discovers the connection between these secrets and a truth that has evaded him for three years. "Room 215, the _Wish_ room…Maybe there's some truth to its name after all. I had a few of my wishes granted last night, but I can't be greedy. Someone like me has a lot of wishes."

**Disclaimer:** The characters all belong to Masashi Kishimito. The inspiration and story plot come from Nintendo and the creators of Hotel Dusk.

**A/N:** The concept for this story was adapted from my favorite DS game. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery! I will take some creative liberties with the story along the way, but for the most part, it will follow the plot of the game, with occasional modifications to better suit the Naruto characters. To anyone who hates spoilers, I suggest playing the game before reading this. As always, reviews are much appreciated. Happy reading!

* * *

**Room 215**

Chapter 1

"Prologue"

_December 24, 2000_

_New York_

-X-X-

Snowflakes floated in gentle flurries from the brightly lit city rooftops down to the frost-bitten cheeks of New York's civilians. The city began to sleep as the forecasted snowfall continued to cover the once crowded streets. Shops flicked their signs to 'closed' as overworked employees trudged through the thick blanket of white, excitement building for the morning's festivities. However, nestled comfortably away from the potency of Times Square, the police station continued in its celebration, the final hours of Christmas Eve ticking away in the merriment.

Music resounded from the speakers, encompassing the main floor with festive tunes from the radio broadcast. Tinsel and garland intertwined with glowing lights decorated walls and desks, the office Wanted Posters temporarily covered by child-crafted paper snowflakes and visuals of Santa Claus soaring through the night sky.

In a corner of the party space, two officers, one dressed in a festive elf costume and the other in his standard detective attire, were engaged in a heated eating-contest.

"This is my moment, Kakashi! With the youthful spirit of Christmas jollity in the air, I will secure my victory!"

Gai cheered himself on as he repositioned the spoon in his hand, pointing with a celebratory grin at his silver-haired opponent, before resuming his quick-paced consumption of banana pudding.

Kakashi remained unfazed by the animated man's proclamations, instead maintaining his focus on the purposeful mouthfuls of the dessert lying before him. His competitive nature sparked to life during their challenges, despite only outwardly displaying minimal enthusiasm. Even when he was more obviously excited for the competition, his reactions were inevitably overshadowed by the eccentric outbursts of the one and only Might Gai.

Glancing down at his bowl, Kakashi scooped out the final remnants of pudding and, after taking a short pause to prolong the competition, he placed it in his mouth with a satisfied smile. After only a moment, a single fist dropped to the table beside him, a devastated sigh expressing Gai's knowledge of his defeat. Turning to face his previously impassioned opponent, the seasoned detective withheld a chuckle as he noted the man's self-induced frustration. _Apparently_, stopping to declare his ensuing victory had slowed him down. Who knew?

"Looks like I win again," Kakashi crossed his arms, a coy shrug accompanying his indifferent tone. "How many is that now?"

Gai's expression dropped further as he placed his head on the table, theatrically holding up a single finger.

"Ah, that's right," he nodded. "With this, I broke our tie. I'm in the lead. _Again_."

The dark-haired officer cut short his momentary despair by bounding to his feet and pointing a finger at his rival, determination returning to his demeanor. "Not for long! From my mind, I shall summon a rival contest even more daring than this one! One that challenges not only the body, but also the very essence of our youthful spirits!"

Kakashi simply shrugged once more, before awarding him a signature crinkling of his eyes. "We'll see if you can come up with something more daring than a _pudding_ eating competition."

Gai furrowed his brows, pouting at the obvious mockery, before completely erasing the displeasure from his expression. "I'll think of something exciting. It will really get our blood boiling, Kakashi! Now, I'm off! I want some punch." With an emphatic salute and a toothy grin, he strolled away from their corner toward the center of the festivities, where a beverage and snack table were set up.

Kakashi watched in silent amusement as one of the junior officers informed Gai of the yellow dessert adorning the front of his costume. He shook his head when the man merely waved it away with a throaty laugh and a thumbs-up, but fondly remarked to himself that nothing could ever inhibit that overwhelming positivity. Not for long, anyway.

Turning to glance out the window, at the scattered droplets of pale snow marring his view of the city, Kakashi's mind wandered to yet another positive individual – Uchiha Obito. They were partners, had been for many years. They had started their careers in the same year, working their way from the lowest ranks to the position of detective. Despite initially clashing, their repeated experiences of saving each other had developed into a deeply rooted bond of trust and friendship. In the moments when the profession took its toll on Kakashi and a darkness clawed inside him, Obito kept him afloat, reminding him with endless optimism that they were working to make the world a better place. It was their job to work tirelessly, facing the horrors of the criminal underground, so that happiness could be attainable for those who couldn't grasp it for themselves.

Even in the frigid December chill, the night before Christmas, Obito was hard at work, while they were leisurely celebrating the holiday countdown – not that he was complaining.

Kakashi contented himself with leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes, wanting to at least take _some_ advantage of the free time that came with the Christmas Party.

His moment of relaxation didn't last long, however, as the piercing sound of a phone ringing alerted him. He cracked an eye open, waiting to locate the source of the sudden call before reacting further, but when Kakashi pinpointed the sound originating from his office, he groaned. He wasn't in the mood to deal with street thugs, but if it was in the cards for him, he didn't have a choice. After pushing himself sluggishly from the chair he had chosen to occupy for the evening, he made his way to his office, shutting the door behind him as he picked up the phone and silenced the incessant ringing.

"Hatake Kakashi speaking," he announced with a bored drawl.

"Kakashi…it's Minato. I didn't want to tell you like this, but this situation is getting out of hand, and I need you here."

Namikaze Minato, the chief of police, was renowned in their precinct for his calm persona and unique sense of humor, but as his voice travelled through the phone, Kakashi detected a strain that was rarely present in the man's tone and a foreboding edge to his words. Something was very wrong.

"What happened?"

"…It's Obito. He–"

Minato's words were cut off by the sharp sound of a gunshot that simultaneously coincided with a commotion occurring beyond the walls of his office. The party atmosphere seemed to have been cut short by a succession of ringing telephones.

"Chief?!" Kakashi's eyes widened with palpable concern.

"I'm alright," the voice responded smoothly, even as soft pants and hurried footsteps drifted through the receiver.

_What the hell is going on?_

A young rookie hastily pulled open his door, too new to the job to know better, but the words that left his mouth in the next moment disturbed the irritation Kakashi normally felt at being interrupted.

"Is it true that Obito sold us out?!"

"What?!" The detective's dark eyes filled with shock. His mind immediately argued with the unreasonable—impossible—allegation, but he didn't have enough information at hand to confidently deny it.

However, the silence he received from the other end of the phone all but confirmed the accusation. Obito had betrayed them.

"Try to keep a level-head, Kakashi," Minato cautioned gently. "We don't have all the information, so we don't know why he did it. Let's avoid jumping to conclusions. Unfortunately…Obito isn't our main concern right now. Our people are being targeted. Three officers have already been shot down."

As the reality sunk in, the panic in the precinct and the danger surrounding their personnel, Kakashi felt a rage boiling inside him. Obito had been over to dinner at Minato's house, had shared a close camaraderie with everyone in the station, and had been his friend for _years_. Had he really betrayed all of that for…for what? What had made the slaughter of comrades worth it to him?

The more Kakashi's mind reeled with questions, the more his fury warred with confusion. None of this sounded like the Obito he knew. Obito had vowed time and time again to protect his comrades before anything else. He would jump directly into the flames if it meant saving a life. He had done just that for Kakashi once, and his entire right side bore the scars to prove it.

Kakashi clenched his fist. He needed to confirm for himself if it was true. And if it was…then he needed to know _why_.

"Where is he?" he asked lowly, his tone constrained as he struggled to control his anger.

"Kakashi, don't—"

He cut off Minato's warning by slamming the phone down, abruptly cutting the line. He knew it was unreasonable, he was trained to remain calm in even more dire situations, but he had a gnawing feeling that Obito would be too far out of reach if he didn't find him first. His burning need to understand pushed him forward.

Kakashi rounded on the shivering rookie, still in the same position by the door. "Where is he?" he asked again.

"L-last I heard, he was fleeing toward the Hudson River."

With only a hasty nod to express his gratitude, he turned and yanked his coat from his chair, throwing the material over his shoulders as he raced out of the station and into the freezing night. One glance at his car, entirely covered in snow, and the growing intensity of the snowfall and Kakashi reasoned that it would be unsafe to drive in the current conditions. Gritting his teeth, he ran in the direction of the well-known river, hoping the boy's information was reliable. The unmistakable sound of police sirens wailed around him, blue and crimson lights flashing as he picked up his pace.

_What happened…Obito?_

Kakashi reached the docks with an abrupt halt, pausing only a moment to calm his heavy breathing before intently casting his gaze at his surroundings, searching for a familiar figure. A ship bell sounded in the distance, the gusting chill carrying a dense fog over the Hudson that swept onto the edge of the docks where he spotted a lone figure. In the dim lighting, he was only able to make out a faint silhouette, but he _knew_ it was him.

He stepped closer, the light gradually increasing to expand his field of vision.

"Obito."

His partner had his back to him, hands tucked into his coat pockets as he faced the deceivingly serene river. He didn't acknowledge his presence, didn't react to hearing his name, and Kakashi wondered if he was purposefully avoiding him. After everything they had been through together, was he unable to face him?

"…Why?"

There was no response.

"Answer me, Obito."

His hands shook. Seeing the detective again and his apparent indifference to the situation summoned the wrath he had been trying to bury with reason.

"Damnit, Obito! Why the hell did you do it?!"

A weighted silence hung in the air, mixing with the ephemeral wisps flowing from Kakashi's sporadic breaths. He finally received a reaction when Obito tilted his head in his direction, the scars on his face catching the light but his thoughts concealed by the shadows. A hand slipped out of his pocket, slowly reaching toward the space on his belt where Kakashi knew he wore his gun. He quickly unholstered his own weapon and focused it on the dark-haired detective standing before him.

"Don't move."

Obito paused, Kakashi's warning seeming to reach him, but in the next moment, the speed of his actions increased. He pivoted on his foot, his darkened gaze briefly meeting the fire in Kakashi's, before he secured his fingers on the handle of his gun and extended his arm.

Kakashi's instincts kicked in, his rampant emotions calming in the face of the threat, and his finger reflexively pulled the trigger.

The sound of a gunshot pierced the still night.

Obito's body reacted to the force of the bullet and his foot slipped off the dock. As he fell back, the icy water enveloped him, swallowing him beneath its surface and only leaving behind his final, whispered plea as the river stilled.

"R-Rin."

-X-X-

_December 28, 2003_

_Los Angeles_

-X-X-

A monotonous, blaring ringtone pulled Kakashi from his fitful slumber. His eyes snapped open and he sat up with a start as a shallow gasp escaped him. Scanning his eyes briefly around, he registered the familiar surroundings of his cheap apartment.

Kakashi sighed, dropping his face into his palm. It had been three years since that night and ever since, his mind replayed the memory in his dreams, searching the taunting details for any clue behind Obito's motives. When he shot his partner, they waited several days for his body to surface, but nothing was ever found. He couldn't shake the implications behind that fact, that Obito had somehow survived, and so he set off on a mission—to find the partner who betrayed him and figure out his side. He couldn't let it go until he knew the truth.

After the incident, Minato had suggested he take time off to recover, but instead, he quit the force altogether. He had behaved recklessly when he chased after Obito, abandoning his comrades at a crucial time when they needed his experience. No less than seven officers were killed during the shootings. Several more were injured, including the chief. He had broken protocol and made the wrong choice. He was no longer fit to be a detective.

Minato seemed hesitant to let him walk away, but he relented with understanding and helped him find a job with an old friend, a rather eccentric elderly man named Jiraiya. He owned a business known as _Red Crown _that was a sales company on the surface, but behind the scenes, it specialized in finding items most people would prefer to remain hidden. Jiraiya took Kakashi in as a door-to-door salesman, but he occasionally assisted with the item searches. In exchange, Jiraiya was discreetly helping him track down leads on the missing Uchiha.

After another chorus of rings sounded, Kakashi finally relented and reached across the bed to pick up his cellphone from the side table. He took a moment to adjust his eyes and take in the name on the screen before answering with another sigh.

"Kakashi!" Jiraiya's animated voice boomed loudly in the ex-detective's ear. He flinched, releasing an irritated exhale. "So nice of you to finally return my calls! Long night?"

"Yeah, you could say that," he returned flatly. Not only did the dreams disrupt his sleep, but the hangover certainly didn't help. He had started the night harmlessly re-reading his favorite book series, _again_, but when the distressing thoughts persisted beyond even the escape of the captivating story, he had resorted to bourbon instead.

Now, he was regretting that decision.

Jiraiya laughed heartily, "I don't have much sympathy for ya! I may be a drunk, but not when I'm working." The older man's intensity dwindled on the other end, before he added, "Now, I received a call this morning from a client, and I've got a job for you."

Kakashi resisted the urge to groan in complaint. He was not in the mood for this.

"It's at Hotel Dusk, a little hamlet in the Nevada desert," Jiraiya continued. He wasn't kidding about that lack of sympathy. It would take several hours to reach Nevada before nightfall, probably more if his car finally gave out on the way. He would have to leave shortly after their phone call if he wanted to make it there at a decent time.

"I'll get Hanare to text you the details, but I'll also be sending a package your way with the client information. It should be there by the time you arrive."

Kakashi ran a hand through his hair, frustration growing at the prospect of the upcoming job, but he had no choice. Jiraiya was the boss.

"Alright. I'll head that way soon."

"Good! Finish sobering up and give me a call when you get the package." With that and a final laugh, Jiraiya ended the call.

Kakashi tossed his phone on the pillow behind him and leaned back onto the bed, his gaze catching the movements of the ceiling fan overhead. He watched listlessly as the blades spun at a sluggish pace, his mind already running through the list of tasks he needed to complete. He allowed himself another moment of laziness, a reprieve from the pounding in his head before he begrudgingly pushed himself off the bed and started the packing process.

He didn't expect the job to last more than a day, so he only prepared the essentials he would need for an overnight trip and threw them into his run-down briefcase. After changing into his work clothes and slipping on his official _Red Crown_ employee jacket, he heard a sudden chime from his cellphone, alerting him to a new message.

_That must be Hanare._

He retraced his steps to the bed to retrieve his phone and tapped on the keypad, pulling open the message as he made his way out of his apartment. Just as Jiraiya said, she had sent him the address to the hotel, but there was also a personal message following that.

**Hanare:** Hey, handsome ;) I heard from Jiraiya that you had another rough night. Do me a favor and drive safe today, okay?

A small smile pulled at the corner of Kakashi's mouth. The message was just like her, starting with a flirty remark before expressing her genuine concern for him. She had been Jiraiya's secretary long before he had joined the team, but she was almost the complete opposite of that exuberant man, and he had quickly warmed up to her calming presence, occasionally seeking her out when he felt himself sinking too far into one of his lows. There was a silent understanding between them. He hadn't told her much about his past, but she never pushed, patiently giving him the time and space he needed to get there when he was ready. He appreciated that about her.

**Kakashi:** Sure thing. You know you don't have to worry so much about me, right?

**Hanare: **I can't help it, darling. You've given me too many reasons to worry ;)

**Kakashi:** Hey, I'm getting on the road now, so if you want me to be safe, stop texting.

**Hanare: **If I must. Just call me when you get there, alright?

**Kakashi:** I will.

He deposited his phone on the empty seat beside him and started the ignition, tearing out of his complex's parking lot and heading toward the open road.

-X-X-

_December 28, 2003_

_Nevada_

-X-X-

Kakashi reached Hotel Dusk at a quarter to five. He parked on the side, before pocketing his phone and stepping onto the cracked sidewalk. He dug out his briefcase from the trunk and gave the dilapidated building a brief once-over, noting the faded tan hues of the bricks and scattered shards of broken lights from the large sign bearing the hotel's name. He was used to staying in battered establishments. Since travel came with the job, it was more practical to stay in cheaper places. Most of the time, there wasn't much of a hassle in retrieving the lost items, and he hoped this time would follow the same, smooth process.

_This is my life now. This is what I'm doing until I find you…Obito._

With a final sigh, he walked toward the main entrance, pushing open the double doors and entering the hotel.


	2. Chapter 2: 5 O'clock

**Room 215**

Chapter 2

"5 O'clock"

-X-X-

The droning motions of a ticking clock echoed throughout the empty lobby. Kakashi glanced around, searching for signs of life while also taking in his surroundings with a distant curiosity. To his left rested a simple wooden table and a moss-colored sofa, the stitching tattered and hints of white stuffing peeking out around the edges. Directly in front of him was a vacant desk, a single bell resting on its surface beside a telephone and a disconnected tv.

With a shrug, Kakashi stepped closer to the counter and proceeded to ring the bell, pressing his hand firmly on the top to overcompensate for its rusted nature. He waited several moments, questioning if anyone worked in the desolate establishment, when a door behind the desk slowly opened and the strangest man he had ever seen emerged from behind it. He was unnaturally pale, almost white in his complexion, with cascading raven strands, but the most unique feature was his eyes – specks of gold surrounding slitted pupils. There was an almost snakelike quality to them.

"Who is it?" the man questioned, a cautious rasp present in his voice.

"I'm looking for a room for the night," Kakashi responded simply to the weighted inquiry.

"Oh, you're a guest?" the pale individual chuckled, seemingly finding humor in the information. "You should have said so." Creeping closer, he set his elbows comfortably on the counter, linking his long fingers. "I'm Orochimaru, the owner of this _esteemed_ hotel. You could say this place is my personal paradise. We're quite full this time of year, so you're fortunate to have come at this time on this particular day."

_Right…judging by the state of this place, I doubt it's that popular._

"Lucky me," Kakashi deadpanned. "Do you have anything cheap?"

"Cheap?" Orochimaru released another gruff chuckle. "Why settle for less when you can have so much more? I can tell by your clothes that you're a salesman, and I know from conversing with other individuals in the sales industry that it is a job that brutally bears down on the body. Why not treat yourself to something nice for once?"

Kakashi arched a brow. Orochimaru was identifying him as a salesman while pitching his own _obvious_ sale. His motive was entirely transparent. The ex-detective allowed him to continue, however. The presentation was peculiar yet impressive, and he was genuinely curious what offer was about to come out of that man's mouth.

"Now, I happen to have a suite available tonight, with a magnificent view of the Nevada landscape. Tell me, have you ever glimpsed the sun setting over the vast desert? It's simply excellent! And I don't do this for just _anyone_, but I will even lower the price. You know, in the spirit of…Christmas!"

Kakashi withheld a smirk at the man's final comment. _Somehow_, he wasn't so sure the reduced price originated in any form of generosity. A suite was more expensive than the average room, so Orochimaru was attempting to earn a greater profit, even if it meant offering a discount.

Securing a hand lazily in his pocket, Kakashi leaned his other arm against the counter, an amused glint in his dark gaze. "You know, that doesn't sound too bad. How much?"

"Oh, the suite usually runs for about three-fifty," Orochimaru responded, an excited edge overtaking his voice. "But I will generously reduce it to an even three hundred for you."

Kakashi hung his head, concealing a smile. That was exactly what he had expected.

After recovering his neutral expression, he lifted his eyes and shook his head. "Nah, I think I'll pass. That's still a bit pricey for me. The regular room will do just fine."

"Oh…I see. Well, that was a waste of time for both of us, wasn't it?" With an obvious pout, Orochimaru reached underneath the counter and pulled out a blank form, setting it in front of Kakashi with an exaggerated look of disapproval. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a simple black pen, "Here. Use this pen. It's very nice, I know, but don't steal it. It's mine."

Kakashi lifted another brow at the peculiar behavior on display in front of him, especially that possessive glint in Orochimaru's eyes, but relented his curiosity for the moment. He instead accepted the offered writing utensil and began filling in his information. For a moment, the only sound in the room was the scratching of the pen and the continued countdown of the clock.

"It is always interesting to discover what sort of person will walk through those doors," Orochimaru suddenly mused aloud. As Kakashi lifted his gaze, he noted how the man's earlier disappointment was already a thing of the past. Rather, he seemed lost in a reverie. "In my line of work, you constantly see new faces, but there is an exceptional uniqueness to each one, I've found. Every person has their own story—their own reasons for being out here in the middle of the desert."

_Their own stories, huh? I can't argue with that. I know very well that people have their own reasons for the crazy things they do._

With an inquisitive tilt of his head, as he slid the completed form across the counter, Kakashi asked, "So, what's your story?"

"Oh, mine? Mine isn't interesting." Orochimaru returned, although it was delivered more offhandedly than anything he had seen before from the snakelike individual. He seemed entirely distracted by the slip of paper in front of him.

"What? Did I fill it out incorrectly?" Kakashi glanced down at the form, perusing the information he had written. Everything looked accurate.

"Oh, no. No, nothing like that," Orochimaru shook his head. His gaze remained captured for another moment, before he returned his attention to his silver-haired guest. "Your name caught me by surprise, but it must simply be a curious coincidence."

"Have you heard my name before?"

"Oh…well…in a way, yes," Orochimaru stumbled over his answer, his eyes lighting when he finally answered in the affirmative. "I had another guest with your name, you see, but I did not take Hatake Kakashi for a popular child's name, so that alone is somewhat bizarre. Also, there existed only a six-month gap between the two visits, so you can imagine my surprise at this improbable occurrence."

Kakashi's eyes widened.

_A guest with my name? It couldn't be…could it?_

A hotel in the middle of nowhere was the last place he expected to find anything related to his missing partner, but his instincts were practically screaming at him to deny the explanation of a coincidence. Would it be foolish to hope? Was he merely seeing a connection where one didn't exist?

"This guest with my name," he began, attempting to maintain control over the rush of anticipation he felt. "What did he look like?"

"As I recall, he was about your age, but his appearance was significantly different," Orochimaru placed a hand against his waist and flourished the other arbitrarily in the air. "You possess a unique hair color whereas his was rather ordinary. I would say it was dark brown, bordering on black, perhaps."

That was a common reaction to his hair. He was used to the double-takes and suspicions about its natural status. There was even a little girl once who said he was aging well. Orochimaru's lack of surprise was new, though. If he was unfazed, he must have really come across extravagant individuals.

Orochimaru's golden gaze then slithered to meet Kakashi's, reflecting his intrigue. "But his eyes…Oh, they were undoubtedly black. Same as yours. They were very…dark. He might have also been a little taller than you, though not as slender."

That...was an incredibly detailed description. It certainly sounded like Obito, but...what about his scars? Obito's scars were hard to miss, unless you just _didn't_ pay attention, but Orochimaru had already evidenced his attuned sense of observation. He couldn't have overlooked such a defining feature. Did that mean the man with his name _wasn't_ Obito? Or was Orochimaru intentionally withholding that detail? It probably wasn't a good idea to push him until he had more information. He would just hold onto those suspicions, for now.

"Why do you ask? Are you acquainted with the other Kakashi?"

There was a suspicious glint in the man's eyes as he stared at him, and Kakashi remarked that he had made the right call.

"It's hard to say," Kakashi shrugged, indifference lacing his tone. "I've never met another man with my name, and I've come across a few people with that description. Maybe you're right, and it's only a coincidence."

Orochimaru continued to hold his stare, observing his features as he seemed to search for the truth in his words. After another moment, he leaned back and waved a hand dismissively. "Well, whatever. It must be another of life's many extraordinary mysteries."

He then lifted the completed form from the counter and placed it in a cabinet behind him, rummaging around in the drawer a moment before turning to face Kakashi once more.

"Anyway, you'll be staying in Room 215. Here," Orochimaru extended a single pale arm with a key nestled in his upturned palm. "This is your room key. If you lose it, I'm afraid I'll have to charge you for the cost of replacing it. I'm sure you understand. Also, checkout will be at ten tomorrow morning. If you're late, I'll also charge you, but it will be double."

Kakashi nodded and retrieved the key, internally considering how many extra charges this man could imagine. As he observed the object in his hand, he acknowledged the presence of the room number, but his gaze was drawn to the word _Wish_ engraved at the bottom. "Wish?"

"Yes, that's the name of the room," Orochimaru responded matter-of-factly.

"The room has a name?"

"Oh, absolutely!" the man's voice grew in intensity. "Every room in this hotel has a name. It was a feature I added to create a personalized experience for every guest. We have _Success_, _Bravery_, _Daybreak_…even _Love_."

A self-satisfied smile was present on his features. He must have been very proud of those room names.

"But," he continued. "Out of all of them, I have to say that _Wish_ is my favorite. If not for the sentiment in the word, then for the incredible tales of renewal I have heard from previous guests. I told you before, Hatake Kakashi, you are a fortunate man. That room is my most coveted."

"Why?" Kakashi offered the man a curious widening of his eyes. "Because of these _tales of renewal_?"

"Yes, _precisely_," Orochimaru nodded. "That room is very special. Tell me, Kakashi…do you have dreams? Something you wish for?"

"I'm not one for wishing," Kakashi answered simply. He knew better than to believe in that sort of thing.

Orochimaru chuckled, "That doesn't surprise me, but still...If you have something you want, something you _really_ want, then you just might find it tonight. That's the story of the _Wish_ room. That's Room 215—the place where wishes are granted."

_The place where wishes are granted..._

Kakashi shook away those fantastical thoughts and returned his attention to the pale man in front of him. "You still haven't explained those _tales of renewal_."

"You're right, I haven't. Silly me," Orochimaru replied, his shoulders shaking with laughter. "Well, first, there was a young girl and then...Yes, a middle-aged man. They were both downcast, as though something destroyed their happiness and made them realize the meaningless nature of their existence. To put it simply, they were...sad. But, the following morning, they had been reborn. There was a light in their eyes and a contentment to their countenance. They looked peaceful. I was curious, of course, to learn the cause of this unexpected transformation, so I asked, and they both told me the same thing: 'Room 215 is magic. It granted my wish!' That is why that room is special. I have proof."

Kakashi lowered his gaze to the room key, turning it in his palm, contemplating its name. Perhaps he _did_ have a wish, something he was foolishly chasing, but a room wasn't going to lead him to any answers.

"And…that should do it," Orochimaru's raspy voice prompted him to look up. "You're checked in now. Our rooms are located on the second floor. They are easily accessible by taking the stairs in the lobby. Our restaurant can be found beside the stairs on _this_ floor. Dinner will be served at six this evening. There is also a bar, if that interests you, that opens at nine. Do you need anything else? Any further questions?"

"Yeah," Kakashi nodded, thoughts of his task returning to the forefront. "I'm waiting on a package."

"A package?" Orochimaru regarded him curiously, glanced around the counter once and then shook his head. "I don't see anything. How interesting…You send a package to a hotel without first securing a reservation? What if we were booked?"

Kakashi smirked. Orochimaru was determined to stand by his story of the hotel's popularity.

"Oh! And about this package, I hope it's nothing...suspicious," Orochimaru's slitted gaze narrowed, a frown pulling at the corner of his lips. "I don't want anything here that will inconvenience the hotel. Once, three years ago, there was a package delivered to another young man, such as yourself, and it was business as usual…until the police arrived. As it turns out, the guest was a criminal using my hotel for his nefarious actions, but that was no excuse for the police to destroy doors and order me around. Everyone was in a panic because of that guest and the police. I would prefer to avoid a similar situation from occurring in the future. That's why the Dusk has a strict policy: no criminals...and no police."

Orochimaru's bitterness was palpable as he told the story, and Kakashi realized he was the sort of man who might throw him out if he knew his history. He seemed welcoming enough, but there was an edge of suspicion in every glance, as if he _expected_ something to go wrong. Kakashi doubted his story was uninteresting, like he said.

"My package is nothing like that," he responded with a shrug. "It just contains a few materials for my job."

"After hearing my tale, that's exactly what a criminal or a cop _would_ say...but you're obviously a burnt-out salesman, so I'll trust you for now."

Kakashi blinked at that final remark.

_I look like a burnt-out salesman?_

"I'll tell our eager bellhop to look for your package. If it shows up, he'll take it to your room for you." Orochimaru then presented an exaggerated flick of his wrist and swept his arm around him, "Now, enjoy your stay. And welcome to Hotel Dusk!"

Kakashi nodded once. He stepped away from the desk and began his walk toward the lobby, when the creaking sound of the front door and a voice stopped him.

"Pardon me, sir. Do you have a room available for tonight?"

Turning, he took in the appearance of an elderly woman. Her hair was a pale grey and several age spots patterned her face beside the wrinkles. She walked slowly, perhaps due to weak knees, but there was a smile on her face that rivalled her physical appearance.

"Welcome to Hotel Dusk!" Orochimaru announced. "You're in luck! We have a few vacancies. Are you looking for anything in particular? I still have a suite available, if that interests you."

Kakashi chuckled, directing his face away from their business conversation. He was definitely starting to get a sense of the sort of person Orochimaru was. Shoving a hand into his pocket, he continued his journey to the lobby, where he spotted the stairs and began his ascent. He made it effortlessly up the first flight, but as he rounded the bannister and moved across the small landing, he found that his path was blocked by a girl sitting on the bottom step. Her head was bowed, faced creased with concentration, as she stared at a puzzle piece in her hand.

Stepping closer, Kakashi peered over her shoulder. There was a half-completed puzzle on the step beside her, vibrant blues and rustic tans creating the image of a beach, but even more compelling was the small size of the pieces, which made the puzzle much more advanced than he expected.

The frustration was radiating off her as she manipulated the piece, trying without success to make it fit into one of the empty spaces. Kakashi bent down on one knee beside her and leaned forward, pointing to an opening near the center. "I think it would fit best right here."

The girl started, jolting at the sudden voice. She must have been completely absorbed in the puzzle if she didn't notice his presence until that moment.

"Sorry, sorry," Kakashi apologized, waving a hand in front of him, but the small smile contradicted his words. "I didn't mean to scare you."

The girl adjusted her glasses with a frown, crossing her arms. "You didn't scare me. I was _surprised_. There's a difference."

Despite her childish response, there was an impressive knowledge in her obsidian gaze, an awareness rarely present in children her age. Just as he was analyzing her, she seemed to be mirroring his action.

"Why are you playing on the stairs?"

With an indignant huff, the girl directed her face away from him. "I wasn't playing. I was solving a sophisticated masterpiece."

"But…," Kakashi purposefully drew out, redirecting to his actual question. "Why on the stairs? Wouldn't it be inconvenient for you with the traffic?"

"The stairs are…," she trailed off, her eyes slipping closed briefly. "The stairs are quiet." Glancing up at him with a frown, she then added, "At least, they _were_."

Kakashi waved his hand in another apologetic fashion. The girl simply rolled her eyes before she bent to scoop the puzzle pieces into a box, destroying her progress. When she finally secured them all, she fastened the lid and rose from her step. With a fleeting, polite smile, she nodded once before walking up the stairs.

_Interesting kid…but who is she?_

He placed his foot on the previously occupied step but felt an uneven surface beneath him. As he pulled away, he recognized one of the puzzle pieces nestled in a crack on the staircase. Reaching down, he picked it up and turned it once in his palm, noting the curious black lines adorning the back. He decided he would return it to the girl next time he saw her and placed the piece in his jacket pocket. He then continued his ascent up the stairs.

When he reached the second floor, a quick sweep of the hall informed him that his room was located on the far right, but he also noted that every door had a room number with a name emblazoned beneath it. Orochimaru's doing, no doubt. It was yet another addition to that personalized experience he wanted to give his guests.

Standing across from the stairs, in front of a room labelled _Trust_, was a dark-haired young man, who couldn't have been much older than sixteen. He didn't notice Kakashi, but he looked skittish, peering his eyes around the hall, face contorted with pain.

Tilting his head, Kakashi felt a mild concern. He moved to stand in front of the supposedly troubled youth, waving his hand in front of his face to capture his attention. "Is something wrong?"

The reaction was immediate. Blue eyes narrowed in annoyance and shifted in his direction, before he snapped, "What?"

"You look out of it."

"N-no, I'm fine." The adolescent crossed his arms, his mouth pulling into a disgruntled frown.

"Alright, sorry for bothering you." Kakashi lifted his hands in surrender and stepped around the brooding teenager.

"Hold it," his voice demanded after a moment.

Withholding a sigh, Kakashi looked back at him over his shoulder, eyes distant with a lack of interest. "Hm?"

"Who are you?"

"Me? Kakashi. I'm in Room 215," he lifted an arm and indicated the room with his thumb. "You?"

"Konohamaru."

_Interesting name…I wonder if he has an interesting story behind it._

Kakashi turned around, his focus once again entirely concentrated on Konohamaru. "Do you stay here often?"

"Here? Never," Konohamaru snorted with derision. "I've never been to a place like this. Unfortunately, I have no choice but to stay here tonight."

"No choice, huh?" Kakashi mused, "Did something happen?"

"I don't need to explain myself to you," Konohamaru retorted, frown deepening.

"I was just asking," Kakashi remarked easily with a shrug, lifting his gaze to the stained and chipped ceiling. Was yellow the original color, or did that develop over time?

"Sure, you were."

Kakashi was tempted to roll his eyes at the adolescent display but maintained civility as his thoughts returned to his previous encounter.

"There was a kid on the stairs earlier," he began, setting his sight back on Konohamaru. "She's probably about seven. Black hair. Glasses. Do you know who she is?"

"Oh, you must be talking about Sarada," Konohamaru responded, the edge fading from his tone. "She's staying in 219 with her dad," he indicated the room directly to the left of the stairwell. "He's far from the warmest guy you'll ever meet."

_You're not so easygoing yourself._

"I'll keep that in mind," Kakashi nodded.

"Anyway, I gotta go. I'll see you around," Konohamaru announced suddenly. With a final glance around the hall, he retreated into his room and shut the door.

_Shady kid…_

Perhaps Orochimaru wasn't just spouting the musings of an old man. There were interesting people staying in the hotel.

Kakashi continued past 213 until he reached the door at the end of the hall. 215 was covering a section of the wood, the word _Wish_ directly beneath it in golden letters that presented a rather elegant font. He pulled the key out of his pocket and unlocked the door, pushing it open before stepping over the threshold.

_So, this is Room 215. The place where wishes are granted..._

The room was simple and exactly what he expected. A door leading into the bathroom was on his right while the rest of the space contained the bed, nightstand, a dresser with a tv, and a small table. There was also an unremarkable painting of apples hanging above the bed. If magic existed, it wasn't present in the room's decorations.

After setting his suitcase on the table, there was a knock on the door.

"Hello? Hey, I got a package from the front desk!"

_That was fast._

Kakashi crossed the short expanse of the room and opened the door. The bellhop was standing on the other side, his face obscured by the cardboard boxes he was carrying.

"I've got a package for you, mister!'

"Okay," Kakashi nodded, directing his hand lazily around the room. "You can put it anywhere."

"Uh…Okay," the bellhop's blond hair bobbed on the other side of the boxes, signaling a nod. He walked into the room and proceeded quickly toward the empty bed, where he released his grip on the bottom box. When he turned, his face was still blocked by the remaining package. "Alright, gotta go! Later, dattebayo!"

Kakashi's eyes widened. "…_Dattebayo_?"

There was only person he had ever heard use that unique phrase. Now that he thought about it, the voice itself was singular, as well.

"Oh, uh…," the blond was at a loss for words, laughing awkwardly. "Did I say that? You must have heard wrong, dattebayo…"

Kakashi's mouth curled in amusement.

The bellhop paused, muttering a self-reproaching remark before sucking in a breath. "Forget I said anything! Bye bye!"

He moved to leave, but Kakashi leaned his weight against the door frame, successfully blocking the escape route. Crossing his arms, he awarded the blond a stern narrowing of his dark eyes. "Naruto."

Naruto froze, but drooped his shoulders in the next moment with a drawn-out exhale. He lowered the box and lifted his head, striking blue irises staring up at him. Naruto forced a grin, "Uh…Long time no see?"

Naruto was a small-time pickpocket he constantly ran into during his time on the force. It had been three years since he last saw him, and Naruto had obviously matured—in appearance, at least. It took a moment to recognize him, but Kakashi could never forget that troublemaker.

...

_The dim lighting of the subway car brightened with the occasional passing of the individual terminals. Kakashi sat in a relatively vacant area by the doors, a book open and held securely in his hand as he pored over the words on the page. He was on his way to a meeting with Gai, the man having successfully roped him into a midnight race around the Yankee Stadium. Gai had been adamant that they include the journey downtown in their race, as well, but Kakashi had refused and taken the leisurely route by subway while his green-clad friend stubbornly braved the path on foot._

_A blur of blond movement flashed in his peripherals and, lifting his gaze, Kakashi saw Naruto chatting with a middle-aged man while he subtly slipped a pearl bracelet of the wife's wrist. It was the third time in a week that he caught Naruto in the act. He commended his boldness, but the Uzumaki was too reckless. He was lucky that another cop hadn't found him._

_With a sigh, the detective snapped his book closed and rose from his seat, before walking across the aisle toward the scene of the theft. He swung an arm around the blond's shoulders, surprising him with his sudden appearance. Naruto's eyes widened, but Kakashi simply smiled, pulling the struggling teen toward the doors as the intercom announced their upcoming destination. He tightened his grip when Naruto put up more of a fuss, slipping the bracelet from the little thief's pocket and depositing it on the floor for the woman to find._

_Once the train stopped, he directed Naruto into the empty terminal where he finally released him. The teen turned to him with rage in his eyes, his fists shaking._

"_What the hell, man?!" he exclaimed, his loud voice echoing around them. "Why did you do that? That bracelet was going to pay for dinner!"_

_The detective ran a hand through his silver spikes, sighing. "I'm only looking out for you. If you keep this up, you really will go to jail, and there won't be anything I can do."_

"…_I know," Naruto frowned, his tone losing its intensity. "I don't want to go to jail…I don't even like stealing from people, but I'm not the only out here. I would change everything and follow my dreams, if I could, but I can't just abandon my friend."_

_For a long moment, Kakashi simply stared at the blond. His head was bowed, his form shaking with frustration at his circumstance, when a gust of wind wandered through the terminal and he was instead shivering from the cold. Releasing another, muted sigh, Kakashi pulled out his wallet and retrieved a fifty-dollar bill that he then placed in Naruto's palm. When the teen looked up at him in surprise, he slipped his hands into his pockets and shrugged, dismissing the weighted implications of his action._

"_I heard a blizzard is coming in tonight," he stated casually, directing his gaze toward the stairs and the early traces of snowfall. "You need to stay warm, kid. Use that to get a nice coat for you and your friend. You can't go wrong with a scarf, either." He creased his eyes and indicated his own scarf, which was currently concealing the lower half of his face from the cold. Naruto continued to stare at him._

"_Stay out of trouble, Naruto," Kakashi said with finality, a warning present in his tone. "I'd hate to arrest you on Christmas."_

_It was still several weeks before the merriest of holidays, but the same message existed. He saluted the stunned teen with a lazy flick of his fingers, then turned to walk away._

"_Hey, Kakashi Officer!"_

_Smiling fondly at the nickname, Kakashi glanced behind him. A bright grin was present on Naruto's face, the cold already defining his cheeks with a prominent shade of pink. "Merry Christmas, dattebayo!"_

...

Naruto was another tragic story—an orphan abandoned by the system, who learned to fend for himself on the harsh streets of Manhattan. Kakashi did what he could to guide him away from the life of a criminal, but even a low-profile record limited his opportunities beyond the streets. Naruto was also incredibly stubborn, determined to pave his own path. He wasn't expecting to find Naruto in Hotel Dusk, of all places. In fact, he never expected to see him at all after leaving New York behind.

"What are you doing here, Naruto?" he finally asked.

"What does it look like?" The blond rolled his eyes and held out the package still nestled between his hands. "I'm working!"

Kakashi raised a skeptical brow.

"Hey, it's the truth!" Naruto defended, his volume increasing. "I'm the honorary bellhop of this place! I cleaned up my act since you last saw me, dattebayo! I'm going on three years with this job."

"I tried to help you with little success in the past," Kakashi reminded him, his disbelief reflecting in his gaze. "Now, you're working in a hotel in the middle of a desert? What happened?"

He often proclaimed New York as his home and was determined to remain there. There was also the matter of the friend he mentioned in the past, who he refused to leave behind. Something must have forced him to leave.

Naruto's cerulean gaze lowered to the carpeted floor, his fingers fidgeting with the hem of his jacket. "…Some bad things happened," he finally revealed, tone heavy with his barely contained grief. "So, I left."

Kakashi's eyes lowered. He had wanted to spare the Uzumaki from further suffering, but it seemed that a positive result had come from it, at least. Hotel Dusk was far from ideal, but it was better than the slums.

"But hey!" Naruto's previous state of melancholy faded as he put on a smile, in an obvious attempt to fight the overwhelming sadness. "What about _you_, Officer? Why are _you_ here? Oh!" His eyes lit up, a genuine grin stretching across his cheeks in his excitement. "You must have a super huge bust lined up, am I right? Yeah, yeah! I bet you're working," his voice dropped to a whisper, "undercover."

Kakashi stared back in boredom. The little thief always _was_ one for the theatrics.

"Yeah, that's exactly it, Naruto," he deadpanned. "I'm undercover."

Naruto frowned, "I can't tell if you're serious or not."

_Hm…he must have missed the sarcasm. Oh, well. He can think what he wants._

In the next moment, Naruto's confusion had disappeared as he leaned toward the ex-detective with narrowed eyes.

"Are you looking for something?"

"Kind of," Naruto nodded distractedly, his gaze unwavering. "It's more like…something is _missing_. There's something off about you, Kakashi Officer. You have a completely different vibe now."

"A different vibe?"

"Yeah…Maybe it's the undercover thing," the blond mused aloud before shaking his head. "But that doesn't add up! There's something about you that feels…heavier. Like you're holding onto some sadness. Something happened to you, didn't it?"

...

"_Is it true that Obito sold us out?!"_

"_Kakashi, I need you here. Our people are being targeted. Don't—"_

"_Damnit, Obito! Why the hell did you do it?!"_

_An echoing gunshot._

"_R-Rin…"_

_..._

"…It's still haunting you, isn't it?"

Kakashi was pulled from his thoughts by Naruto's voice. He didn't respond. He impressively managed to stop his eyes from widening in surprise, in awe of Naruto's natural intuition. He would have to be careful to guard his thoughts around the perceptive blond.

"Hey…Look, maybe you can tell me about it some other time," Naruto offered hesitantly. "You look like you need to like down, and _I _have work to do anyway. I still have to deliver this other package."

"Alright," Kakashi nodded once. "You'd better get on that. You don't want Orochimaru scolding you."

"Pff," Naruto released with a loud laugh. "Yeah, right! Granny is the one who's always on my ass about work."

_Granny?_

Kakashi decided to ignore the nickname. Naruto's mind didn't necessarily acknowledge lack of context when he was talking to people. It was just one of many endearing traits. He pushed himself away from the doorframe and nodded, "Just stay out of trouble."

"Don't I always?" Naruto returned with a final, wide grin, before leaving the confines of the room for the openness of the hall.

Shaking his head, Kakashi let the door fall closed behind the animated individual and made his way toward the bed. As he examined the size of the package, he wondered what else Jiraiya had decided to send besides the client list. He was prepared to open the parcel when his eyes scanned the label on the top and he paused. "Deidara? Last I checked, that _wasn't_ my name."

With a laugh, he dropped his head into his palm. That Naruto…He was still a hopeless idiot. He could easily sort out the mix-up—and he would—but he was intrigued by the contents of the box lying before him. Sometimes he was curious to a fault, he had even been regarded him as intrusive on occasion, but he couldn't be faulted for _accidentally _opening the wrong package.

Kakashi carelessly removed the sealing tape and lifted the sides. Lying on the bottom, was only a teal notebook. His interest only increased at the discovering, so he lifted it from the box and flipped through it. It appeared to be a sketchbook, filled with images depicting various human interactions. One was called Home and showed a child wrapped in the embrace of his parents. Despite the title and parental presence, there was a deep sense of loneliness in the shading. Kakashi commended the visceral talent of the artist.

He replaced the notebook in the box, his curiosity sated for the time being. He straightened and placed his hands in his pockets as he left the room, making it only a few steps into the hall before he spotted a familiar figure standing with her back to him. Quickly coming to a decision, he retrieved the puzzle piece from his jacket and held it between two fingers as he approached the young girl.

"Sarada," he announced with an exaggerated, cheerful lilt. "I think you dropped this."

Sarada turned, a question in her eyes that was replaced by tears when she noticed the puzzle piece.

"Oh! I thought I lost it." She took the item from him and cradled it to her chest.

Kakashi tilted his head as he took in her emotional reaction. "Why is that puzzle so important to you?"

"It was a present from my mama. It's my treasure." Sarada informed him quietly as she wiped her eyes. However, in the next moment, she narrowed her gaze and looked at him suspiciously. "How did you know my name?"

"You shouldn't underestimate adults," Kakashi responded as he adopted a coy smile. "We know everything."

Sarada placed a hand on her hip, regarding him with an unimpressed scoff. "Yeah, right."

Kakashi simply raised his shoulders in a nonchalant shrug, before allowing for a stern moment as he stared pointedly at the girl. "Look, Sarada, I understand the fun of solving puzzles, but you really should avoid playing on the stairs. You need to be more careful in a place like this. Something could happen to you, and you don't want to put your father through that."

"I know...," Sarada's expression fell, her eyes brimming with guilt. "I was trying to give papa space earlier, but he freaked out more when I told him I was on the stairs by myself. He's been really stressed about this trip, and I'm worried that I'm only adding to it."

That was unlikely, but it was understandable why she would feel that way.

"Why is he so stressed?"

"We're going to see mama," she stated softly, her hold tightening over the puzzle piece.

Kakashi's eyes lowered slightly with sympathy. "Your mom's not at home?"

"No...," Sarada shook her head. Her voice was filled with sadness, more tears forming in her eyes. "I was upset because I wanted to see her for Christmas, so my papa said he would take me to her."

"So, this is only a stop on the way," Kakashi nodded, attempting to reassure the girl somehow. "Where are you headed, then?"

"I don't know. He won't tell me. He only got more frustrated when I asked, so I stopped. I'm going to be patient. I know we're only here because of me...so I want to make it easier on him, where I can."

Kakashi felt the passing of a small smile, once again reminded that Sarada was wise beyond her years. Her age showed in the uninhibited expression of her emotions, but her understanding exceeded his expectations. "That's a mature approach you're taking."

"My mama always told me I was mature for my age...So, what are _you_ doing here?"

"Me? I'm here on business," Kakashi stated simply. He shook his head. He wouldn't have stumbled upon the mysterious Hotel Dusk at all if not for his job. "My boss told me to come, so here I am."

"Business? That's like papa. He's always working."

As if on cue, the door behind Sarada opened and a man with black, spikey hair stepped into the hall. The girl's features were a direct copy of his own, and Kakashi didn't even have to wonder if he was Sarada's father.

"Sarada…what are you doing?" He spoke with an even tone, but there was a warning in his eyes as he glanced between his daughter and the salesman.

"Papa, it's okay. I was just talking to this man," Sarada quickly responded, offering a smile.

"Get inside. Now."

Sarada nodded and moved around him through the open doorway. Her father shot a final glare at Kakashi before disappearing into the room behind her. The door closed with a loud click.

Kakashi ran a hand against the back of his neck as he considered how the situation must have looked to the man. He didn't blame him for being suspicious of a strange, older man hanging around his daughter. He was determined to keep her safe, which was what Kakashi was warning Sarada about anyway. It would be for the best if she was cautious around him, as well.

Turning, he then proceeded down the stairs and through the lobby. As he passed under the archway, he saw a girl staring out the window. She looked…lost.

Running a hand through his hair, Kakashi walked toward her. "Hey…are you alright? Do you need some help?"

He was really laying on the Good Samaritan act. Since when did he go out of his way to initiate so many social interactions?

She didn't respond or even react to his presence.

Kakashi shifted his stance and sighed, removing a hand from his pocket to signal the girl, but she removed the need for his plan when she turned and stared at him. Her lavender eyes contrasted inexplicably with her raven tresses. "Are you waiting for someone?"

Once again, she didn't react, almost as if she didn't even hear him.

Kakashi's eyes widened in realization. "Oh. Are you—"

"She can hear just fine," a firm voice suddenly said behind him. "It's her mouth that doesn't seem to work. She hasn't said a word since she arrived."

Turning, Kakashi took in the new arrival. There was a commanding aspect to the woman's presence that was only increased by the expectant arch of her brow as she stared at the pair, hands on her hips.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Tsunade," the woman responded tersely, a no-nonsense demand radiating off her. "I'm the maid _and_ the cook. I practically run the hotel, too, since Orochimaru can barely manage the front desk like I instructed," she rolled her hazel eyes. "And who are _you_? I've never seen you around."

"That doesn't surprise me," Kakashi stated matter-of-factly. "I'm a guest, staying in 215."

Tsunade's eyes lit with recognition as her deep red lips pulled into a smirk. "Oh, so _you're_ the one. Kakashi, was it? I'm sure Orochimaru told you all about the legend surrounding that room, but you seem like you have a good head on your shoulders, so I don't have to tell you to take what he says with a grain of salt."

Kakashi chuckled. Tsunade was a serious, intense individual whereas Orochimaru seemed rather whimsical and open to even fantastical explanations. They made quite the pair.

"Don't worry. I'm too old to believe in magical rooms."

Although, he was fairly certain Orochimaru was much older than him.

"Good," Tsunade nodded approvingly. "Reason will carry you much further than childish fantasies."

"Right…," Kakashi half-heartedly agreed, before returning his attention to the other occupant in the lobby. "So, who's the girl?"

"Oh, you mean the chatterbox over there?" Tsunade asked dryly, indicating the girl with a sweep of her hand. "I have no idea. I was trying to find an ID or something with her name on it, but she doesn't have any personal belongings on her. Only that bracelet."

"Bracelet?"

Intrigued, Kakashi leaned closer and examined the object dangling around her wrist. It was a simple silver band held together by a chain clasp. He glanced curiously at the inscription, only for his eyes to widen. _You are my light_ was engraved into the metal, and it looked suspiciously similar to another bracelet he had seen.

...

"_What about cotton candy? Has that been done before?"_

_Obito and Kakashi sat in their shared office, door closed and separating them from the idle chatter of the rest of the station. Kakashi was leaning comfortably in his chair, content with reading, while Obito swiveled boredly in his own, feet propped up on the desk while he twirled a candy piece between his thumb and forefinger. For the past several minutes, he had been throwing out new ideas for Skittle flavors._

_Kakashi smirked, not lifting his gaze from the engaging plot. "That _would_ be a flavor you suggest. You and that sweet tooth."_

_Obito finally popped the candy into his mouth, a defined laugh in his voice. "I'm not ashamed of my sweet tooth. You'll have to try harder if you want to offend me, Kakashi."_

_Kakashi shrugged, then flipped to the next page in his book._

"_Aha!" The thrilled exclamation prompted Kakashi to momentarily direct his gaze to his partner. A spark was present in Obito's onyx irises, his posture coiled with vitality as he sat up in his chair. The Uchiha's excitement was almost tangible in his sudden grin. "Candy apple! That's the one! It would be all the rage for Halloween. Just imagine holiday themed Skittles."_

_Kakashi smirked. As expected, Obito had thrown out another incredibly sweet flavor. He also wasn't surprised that his mind was on Halloween. It was his favorite holiday, after all._

_The detective, however, withheld any further reaction as he made a noncommittal noise in his throat and leaned back further in his chair, returning his attention to his book. "I believe M&M already has that covered."_

_Obito released an annoyed huff. "I get that this isn't the most stimulating conversation, but could you at least _look_ at me when you make those snarky remarks?"_

"_I've learned from experience that _some_ find my snarky remarks offensive. I thought this might help."_

"_As if you really put that much forethought into what you're doing right now. You're just more interested in that disgusting book than talking to me."_

_The book was _not_ disgusting. It was a compelling tale of romance and incredible character depth that only appealed to individuals who cared to look beneath the obscene surface. He didn't expect Obito to understand._

"_True," he finally responded. "Unlike with you, the conversations in this chapter are…stimulating." He topped off his provocative comment by lifting his face to his friend, closing his eyes and offering his trademark smile._

_Obito narrowed his eyes and aggressively tossed a pen at Kakashi, who easily evaded the hit. In frustration, the dark-haired detective threw another, which was caught effortlessly between two fingers. Kakashi had expected no less._

_Smile still in place, he announced, "If you keep this up, I'll have to tell the chief I'm being harassed."_

_Obito exhaled in defeat before slumping back in his chair. "…Sorry. That was immature." His mood shifted, then, as he leaned forward and rested his elbows heavily on his desk, dropping his face onto his palms. "I'm just restless, I suppose. Minato hasn't given me a new case in a week, and I'm starting to worry. It's worse when I have nothing to do because then I can't help thinking about it. Do you…think I made a mistake?"_

_Obito's face was downcast, concern and self-inflicted condemnation evident in his tense posture. Kakashi's gaze softened as he placed his book on his desk next to the pen he caught. "Obito, I'm sure it's fine. Minato would have told you by now if you did something wrong. He's probably sorting some things around or waiting for one that's more high-profile before he gives you a case. You _are_ the best detective in our precinct. After me, of course."_

_There was obvious light-heartedness in his final statement, which served its purpose because Obito started laughing in response._

"_Even after all these years, you _still_ think you're better than me?" the Uchiha asked, shaking his head in mock-disbelief. "What's it going to take for me to prove I'm twice the detective you are?"_

_The previous strain had disappeared from his expression, an unspoken sign of gratitude underlying his smile._

_Kakashi only smirked in response to the question, lifting his book once more, but his feeling of accomplishment was quickly overshadowed by amusement when he caught sight of a familiar brunette heading toward their office. "You might want to stop with the competitive talk before Rin gets here. You know how she feels about us fighting."_

"_Yeah, I know she doesn't like it, but we're not even fighting this time," Obito defended, clearly missing the implication behind Kakashi's comment. However, he caught on after another moment and his smile widened with delight. "Wait, what? Rin is coming? When?"_

_It was always the same response with him, and Kakashi was grateful that it hadn't changed even after the two became a couple. If anything, Obito was brighter than ever. Any remaining negative emotions that might have been troubling him were nonexistent in Rin's presence—or even just the mention of her name. _

_As the door opened, Obito immediately leapt to his feet, his eyes alight with joy and surprise. "Rin! I wasn't expecting you to stop by!"_

_Rin took in Obito's expression with a fond smile before she exchanged a knowing look with Kakashi, who also offered a coy pursing of his lips. Shaking her head, the brunette shot a playful wink at the Uchiha. "That's because I wanted it to be a surprise." She then moved across the room and pulled him into a hug, Obito immediately returning it, his smile calming in her embrace. "My shift ended an hour early, so I decided to visit. Besides, I have something for you."_

_As Rin pulled away, Kakashi noted that she was still in her pale blue hospital scrubs. She must have headed straight to the police station after she was relieved. Whatever her 'something' was, she must have been excited to give it Obito._

_Rin hoisted herself onto Obito's desk, meeting him at eye-level as she swung her legs freely and pulled out a thin, rectangular box from her purse. Obito placed a hand on the desk beside her and leaned closer, observing the container. "Rin…Please tell me that's not a sparkly necklace."_

_She tilted her head in response, her tone taking on a reproachful inflection. "And if it was?"_

_Obito backed away with a sheepish shrug. "It's not really manly for guys to wear jewelry."_

"_What about wedding rings?" Kakashi suggested casually, face directed toward the ceiling, but eyes trained on his friend for the predicted reaction._

_Obito glared at him, a deep blush coating his cheeks as he lifted another pen, but Rin's gentle hands stopped him. She cradled his hand between her own with an amused smile. "You don't have to throw things, Obito. Kakashi is right. Wedding rings are only one example, but I've seen men wearing all sorts of accessories."_

_The Uchiha glanced to the side, frowning, and reluctantly nodded. When he returned his gaze to Rin, however, a small smile crossed his face. "If it's from _you_…I would wear it, even if it _is_ a sparkly necklace. I can handle feeling a little silly."_

_Rin smiled and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. Giggling, she lifted the box higher. "Fortunately, I won't force you to wear something embarrassing. I'm not _that_ mean. I promise you'll like it."_

_Obito's gaze still harbored a subtle skepticism, but there was an eagerness in his movements as he accepted the box and pried open the lid. His dark eyes widened, and he simply stared at the mystery item for a long moment. Kakashi wheeled his chair across the room to get a look at the gift, his curiosity having won over his previous decision to give the couple privacy. Lying in the box was a silver bracelet with the inscription _I'm always watching you_. _

_Kakashi smiled, realizing what that meant for his friend, but he couldn't pass up the opportunity to tease him. "You know, I think the bracelet gives off the wrong message. People will think you have a stalker."_

_Obito rolled his eyes, but the smile on his face was fixed in place. "People can think whatever they want. This is…Rin, this is amazing!"_

_She smiled, "It gets better. Look," Rin pushed up her sleeve to reveal an identical bracelet, only with a different phrase etched into the metal. "Now we match! I've decided that these bracelets will be our new couple item."_

_Kakashi tilted his head, shooting Rin a questioning glance. "_You are my light_?"_

"_Obito says it to me all the time. I put messages that are meaningful to both of us."_

...

Kakashi's gaze remained captivated by the bracelet, the memory flashing through his mind and bringing up endless questions.

_That's impossible…_

"Is something wrong?" Tsunade asked, her voice carrying a surprising softness. "You look very pale."

"No…," Kakashi shook his head. "It's nothing."

Tsunade obviously didn't believe him, but she seemed to value mercy because she relented. "Alright, fine."

"So," Kakashi cleared his throat, forcing his mind back to the present. "The girl…Is she staying here tonight?"

"Yes, I think so," the blond woman nodded, crossing her arms as she looked at the nameless girl. "She doesn't have any money or luggage, so I'll probably let her stay with me tonight. I have a room here, so it will be easy to keep an eye on her while I'm working."

"How did she get here?" Kakashi asked. If she had no money, then she couldn't have been able to afford transportation. Had she walked? He looked down at her feet. The original black of her shoes was now covered in a thick coat of sand and dirt, but the most alarming aspect was their state of distress. The sides were falling apart, her heel and toes peaking out from the thin material.

"She was all alone on the side of the road and, judging by the state of her feet, she was walking for _miles_," Tsunade informed, noticing the direction of his gaze. "She eventually got a ride from that boy staying in 213, but then he just left her here! He looks harmless enough, but I bet he only picked her up because she's cute and then ran off when he found out she couldn't talk. What a scoundrel…"

Konohamaru was paranoid and defensive, but he didn't take him for a scoundrel. He seemed more like the type of person who would offer a lift and then go on his way, not even thinking to ask if the girl needed further help.

Kakashi's ponderings were interrupted by the sudden ringing of a telephone.

"Again? Why do I have to do _everything_ around here?" Tsunade growled as she walked toward the front desk. She angrily picked up the phone, but instantly switched to a more professional tone when she spoke, "Yes? Hotel Dusk front desk? What's that? The bellhop brought you the wrong package?"

Kakashi perked up at that unexpected information. He wouldn't have to mention his own dilemma at all if the person on the other end of the phone sorted out their mutual problem.

"No…No, that doesn't surprise me at all." Her fist was clenched, voice strained with barely contained agitation. "What's the name on the package? Oh, I see. Well, I'm very sorry. That package should have been delivered to the guest in 215. No, you don't have to do that…Well, if you insist. I'll contact the guest in 215. I'm sorry about the inconvenience."

Tsunade hung up the phone, but as she turned, she placed a hand on her hip and glared at Kakashi with an accusing fire in her eyes.

He shrugged, "I was about to mention it."

"But you didn't," Tsunade chided. She clicked her tongue irately. "That was another guest. Seems he got a package that was supposed to go to you. Anyway, he said he'll bring it to you himself, so you go wait in your room." She used a tone that left no room for argument. Like a dictator. Shifting her gaze then to the girl, her face softened, "Come on, let's get you settled in."

The raven-haired girl smiled uncertainly at Kakashi and waved in farewell as she followed Tsunade into the lobby. She seemed like a sweet person, but how was she connected to Obito? Or Rin, for that matter?

He hadn't heard from Rin since before the incident on the docks. All his efforts to reach her went unanswered. Her place was the first he checked for a lead on Obito, after the man's own house, but the building manager informed him that she had moved out. He had investigated possible new locations, even calling her parents and workplace, but no one had heard from her. At first, he assumed that she was too upset to talk to anyone, especially him, but as time progressed and there was still no news, he could only conclude that she had disappeared with Obito. The answer didn't sound at all like the person he knew, but he hadn't expected his friend to stab him in the back either, so what did he know? Rin probably chose to stay by his side to look out for him, like she always did, despite his crimes.

Kakashi needed to ask that girl about the bracelet…after he figured out a way to communicate with her.

He ran a hand over his face. His head was starting to hurt from the coincidences that didn't seem at all like coincidences.

_Right…I need to wait for that package._

With a final glance at the front desk, Kakashi made his way to the second floor, set on reaching his room before the other guest arrived, but the sight of Konohamaru standing in the hall, observing an apple painting, caused him to pause and instead move to stand beside the teen.

He stared at the painting in silence, counting five red apples surrounding a single bottle of wine, before he spoke. "So…I just met a girl downstairs. Apparently, you brought her here."

Konohamaru's azure eyes remained on the painting. "Do you mean the quiet girl with black hair?"

"That's the one," Kakashi nodded. "Did she say anything to you?"

"Nope, she never said a word," Konohamaru shrugged. He shifted his eyes to the side momentarily before turning to face Kakashi. "I assumed she was just one of those overly shy types, you know? All she did was ask me to take her here. She was carrying a brochure for this place and pointed to it when I asked where she was headed."

_So, she already knew about this place…Why did she come here?_

"I needed a place to stay, too, so," Konohamaru stated casually, crossing his arms. "I figured this was as good as any."

Kakashi tilted his head as he observed the teen beside him. He was hiding something. So many people in the hotel had secrets they were more than willing to imply but weren't open to sharing. He wasn't particularly interested in whatever the rich kid was hiding, though. He was more invested in solving the other riddles that were slowly piling up.

Shaking his head, he stepped away and waved lazily at Konohamaru. "Alright, thanks for the information."

"Sure thing. Later."

Kakashi re-entered his room and made his way toward the bed, pulling the teal notebook from the confines of its cardboard container. It would make the item exchange faster if he already had the other guest's delivery.

He didn't have to wait long. After only a few minutes, a loud knock sounded on the door. He quickly pulled it open and tilted his head at the…_colorful_ individual on the other side. The man had vibrant blond hair, almost yellow, that was pulled into a ponytail with long bangs covering half his face.

"I think our stuff got mixed up, un."

He also had a surprisingly deep voice.

"Yeah, that's right," Kakashi nodded. He pointed to the package the blond was holding. "Is that one mine?"

"Oh, yeah! I got it right here!" As if to emphasize his point, he held it up higher. "I was excited to get my package, so I opened yours without checking. Sorry about that. I couldn't make sense of anything in it, so I realized it wasn't mine. I'm Deidara, by the way, but you probably knew that if you read the package before opening…unlike me, un."

Kakashi arched a brow at the unique inflection at the end of several sentences but dismissed his judgement by taking the box into his own arms. When he adjusted to the weight, he held up the notebook for the flashy individual. "This yours?"

Deidara's visible eye widened, his fingers eagerly snatching the bound article from his grasp. He flipped through the pages, transfixed.

"They're not bad, you know?" Kakashi indicated the captivating sketchbook "I may have peeked at a few drawings, but _you_ looked through _my_ package, so it's only fair."

Deidara nodded absently, muttering under his breath, "Yeah, it's fair, alright. Fair is fair…This art…This is _my_ art…Finally…Finally it's here."

Kakashi clicked his tongue on the inside of his cheek, before lifting a single hand in farewell and stepping back, Deidara still mumbling incoherent sentences.

Kakashi closed the door on the blond and leaned against it, releasing a tired sigh. Only thirty minutes at the hotel and he was already exhausted. Looking to the package, he exhaled once more before moving to set it beside the empty box. After lifting open the cover, he easily located the order sheet as well as a mini sewing machine and other assorted household products. Jiraiya probably wanted him to perform a sales pitch while he was on the hunt for the missing items, but as he scanned the order sheet, his eyes narrowed in confusion. The only thing written on it was a request for a small red box.

_Well, that's suspicious._

Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Kakashi typed out a quick text to his favorite secretary.

**Kakashi: **I got the package. The red box seems a bit sketchy, though.

He only had to wait a few moments for his phone to light up with her response.

**Hanare: **You had the same thought? I'm getting a bad feeling about this, Kakashi. Be careful.

He frowned as he stared at the message. She wasn't the only one with a bad feeling.

**Kakashi: **Only 'cause you asked.

Now that he knew what he was looking for, he could start scouring the hotel, but his current job wasn't like the others. After three years of following hopeless dead ends, suddenly pieces from his past were surfacing—the guest with his name, Naruto, and finally the mystery girl with Rin's bracelet. His mind was tirelessly working through the seemingly separate occurrences, running into the same gnawing thought that they were somehow all connected.

_This is no mere coincidence. Whatever it is, Obito, I'm going to figure it out. I have a hunch that something here is going to lead me to wherever it is you disappeared to._

Kakashi lifted his gaze to the clock resting on the nightstand, the seconds slowly ticking away. It was going to be a long night.


	3. Chapter 3: 5:30

**Room 215**

Chapter 3

"5:30"

-X-X-

The phone on the nightstand rang.

Kakashi slid his gaze toward the source of the noise and allowed the sound to continue for several seconds before lifting the receiver.

"Hello, Kakashi, man of few words. This is the front desk."

The distinctive rasp of the hotel owner could be heard on the other end.

"Orochimaru."

"Yes! It is me," the man responded, excitement evident in his tone. "You can recognize my voice now. Isn't that interesting? Anyway, how is your room?"

Kakashi swept his dark eyes once around his humble surroundings and shrugged. "Can't complain."

"Excellent! Yes, that is very good to hear."

Kakashi idly wondered if Orochimaru had called only to inquire after the state of his room. Was it yet another layer to that personalized experience, or was the man preluding to something beyond small talk?

He didn't have to wait long to find the answer.

"Now, there is something I forgot to mention when you checked in," Orochimaru began, his casual attitude adopting a serious undertone. "You see, being a first-time guest, it is required that you pay your bill upfront. It's not a matter of not trusting you, but it's...hotel policy!"

That was the second time Orochimaru explained his behavior with a statement that seemed as though it had only just occurred to him.

Kakashi quirked a brow. "Are you asking me to pay _right_ _now_?"

"No, of course not," Orochimaru chuckled. "You only just arrived. That would be inhospitable of me. Feel free to take your time and relax first, but I will need the bill settled before dinner."

_Did Orochimaru realize that was in half an hour?_

With an amused shake of his head, Kakashi complied. "Alright. I'll take care of it."

"Oh, wonderful! That would be much appreciated. You can find me either in my office or at the front desk. Whichever is fine."

His words were then followed by the familiar sound of the call cutting off. Orochimaru had hung up.

Kakashi lowered the phone with a frown, mentally recounting his movements from earlier that day. Initially, his wallet was stored in his pocket, but he had moved it to his briefcase during the drive for safekeeping.

Glancing over his shoulder, he spotted the battered object lying on the table where he left it. Stepping closer, he ran his hand along the frayed and weary top, fingers skidding past the lop-sided handle. Perhaps it was impractical to hold onto something so close to its breaking point, but the briefcase had belonged to his late father, and he just couldn't part with it. It had become a silent companion as well as a reminder—one that he could take everywhere.

Sentimental reasons aside, he didn't see the point in throwing out something that was still functional. If it served its purpose, that was good enough for him.

Pulling the key from his pocket, he fit the dull metal into the lock and twisted his wrist, but the top remained closed. Kakashi withheld a sigh as he made another attempt, but a sudden snapping noise caused him to withdraw. After decades of use, the key had broken.

Kakashi shook his head at the unreliable object, though the situation wasn't entirely unexpected. He knew it would happen, sooner or later. Shrugging, he placed the key securely in his jacket pocket. He could easily replace it once he returned to the city, but until then, it seemed the only solution was to pick the lock.

Scanning his eyes around the room, he glimpsed the order sheet Jiraiya had sent held together by a paperclip and another fastened to a hotel brochure beside the phone. After acquiring both items and straightening the metal, he fit them into the lock, easily securing a hold with one while manipulating the pins with the other. A continuous chorus of clicks announced his success and the briefcase snapped open.

The satisfying sound was met by a slight smirk. Lockpicking was a skill he had picked up long before he became a detective, and it continued to aid him years later. There was nothing illegal about finding a loophole to access your own belongings.

Leaning closer, he scanned the contents of his luggage, passing over his spare clothes, but paused when his repositioning of a certain orange book nestled in the corner revealed an old photograph. The edges were tattered, and the once vibrant colors had faded, but he could still clearly make out Obito's bright grin, sitting as brazenly as ever on his desk, while he was personally donning a coy smile, his figure slightly distorted. He had purposefully moved when Minato took the photo, much to the raven's chagrin.

With a wistful sigh, he tore his eyes away and continued his search.

After locating his wallet, he retrieved it and slid the bound leather into his pocket, shortly followed by his hand. He might as well settle the outstanding payment with Orochimaru before the man decided to hunt him down and add another surprise to his visit. As he approached his closed door, he heard movement on the other side and, after turning the handle, he peered around the opening to see Tsunade standing there, boring an agitated glare into the wall as she ran a duster over it.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she snapped, shooting that fiery look in his direction. "I'm cleaning! I work my fingers to the bone, but do you think this place stays clean? Of course not! One of our guests is a slob."

_A slob, huh? I wonder who that could be…Konohamaru? That kid doesn't seem like the type to clean up after himself. Or it could be Deidara. Artists tend to drift toward a sedentary lifestyle._

Kakashi lifted his hands in surrender, adopting an innocent widening of his eyes. "Don't look at me."

Tsunade scoffed, though there was an amused upturn of her lips in place. "Oh, if I thought it was you, you'd know."

_Somehow, that isn't hard to imagine._

Returning his hands to his pockets, Kakashi stepped into the hall and pulled the door closed behind him with his foot. Tsunade's presence had summoned his curiosity regarding the mysterious mute. "How's the girl doing? Has she said anything?"

"Not a word," Tsunade replied, shaking her head, before the dismay was replaced by pride as she crossed her arms and self-satisfaction shone in her eyes. "But I _did_ find a way to communicate with her. When I asked her name again, she was unresponsive, but then I slid a piece of paper across the table and she happily spelled out 'Hinata' for me." She lowered her duster, then, with a sigh. "Unfortunately, that was all I could get out of her before she fell asleep. She must have been exhausted."

So, her name was Hinata. He had to hand it to the intense maid. Thanks to her creativity, they knew how to communicate with the girl. He could finally ask about that bracelet.

"Would it be alright if I stopped by your room to talk to her?"

Tsunade frowned. "Not right now, it's not. She's already been bothered enough by Naruto's sudden appearance." Her voice lowered to agitated mumbling, "I swear, that boy knows how to create drama, saying he's in love with someone he just met."

Kakashi chuckled to himself as he overheard the woman's disgruntled comment.

_That's new, Naruto._

"Let her rest," Tsunade ordered, her attention returning to him. "Any time after 8 should be fine."

He nodded reluctantly. He would have to wait more than two hours to talk to her. Now that Tsunade shared her communication method, his curiosity was burning with an unquenchable flame. His questions were going to relentlessly cycle through his mind until he could finally acquire some answers, but he would just have to be patient and distract himself with mindless activities, such as delivering money to the whimsical hotel owner.

"By the way, you work for Red Crown, don't you?" Tsunade's unexpected question pulled him from his mind. "Do me a favor and tell your boss to make products that aren't useless."

Kakashi snorted in amusement. He already knew their products were only short of being considered a scam because Jiraiya believed in their validity.

"I'm serious! That boss of yours...What was his name?"

"Jiraiya?"

"Yes! Yes, that was it. Insufferable man," Tsunade grumbled, clenching her fist. "After a broom _fell apart_ in my hands, I called him and that man evaded all my demands for a refund, saying it must have been _my_ fault the broom broke! He spouted some nonsense about my grip being too strong!"

Glancing subtly down at the tight hold she currently had over the abused duster, he couldn't object to Jiraiya's assumption.

He decided to keep that observation to himself, however, and instead nodded in response. "I'll talk to him."

"I would appreciate that," she stated, her intensity diminishing somewhat until it was replaced by a curt nod. "Now, I've spent long enough standing around talking with you. I need to get the restaurant ready for dinner.

The blond woman walked away, descending the stairs at a hurried pace. She seemed to always be on the move, ready to tackle the next task.

He was prepared to follow her when he heard a sudden and loud crash from down the hall. Interest piquing, he redirected his footsteps to instead follow the noise, stopping in front of a door marked _Employees Only_. Shrugging, he pushed open the door and quirked his brow in amusement as he took in the scene waiting behind it. A familiar bellhop was tangled in a pile of sheets on the floor, rubbing his head with a pained look.

Kakashi crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. "This is you working, huh?"

Naruto flinched, surprise shining in his eyes as they blinked up at him before recognition set in and they narrowed into an unimpressed glare. "Shut-up, dattebayo...I tripped."

Kakashi chuckled, "Yes, I can see that. I didn't know sheets could get the best of you like that."

The blond frowned, muttering incoherently under his breath. After another moment, his sulkiness disappeared as he lifted an accusing finger at his silver-haired taunter. "Hey! You're not supposed to be in here! This room is off-limits to guests."

He assumed as much from the sign on the door. "I heard a noise. I couldn't leave someone to suffer the torture of laundry."

Naruto laughed, surprisingly humored by the obvious jab, then pushed himself off the ground and rolled up the sheets. As he threw them into the hamper, Kakashi took the opportunity to look around the supposedly forbidden room. Nothing of interest stood out to him until he caught sight of a brightly colored magazine lying on an otherwise empty shelf. Pushing off the door, he advanced further into the room and retrieved the reading material, instantly recognizing it as the December Issue of a popular female swimsuit magazine.

Flipping idly through the pages, he spoke to the room's other occupant. "Is this yours, Naruto?"

"Huh?" Naruto asked, distracted by laundry. He turned around to figure out the question but waved it away when he noticed the magazine. "Oh, no. I found that in here this morning. I think a guest forgot it."

_Something a guest left behind..._

"Does that happen often?"

"Oh, yeah!" Naruto responded animatedly, enthused by the topic. "All the time, dattebayo. I've found all kinds of stuff. Toy trucks, hairbrushes, clothes, even a jewelry box. I've considered keeping some of the toys before, but if a lonely kid showed up looking for it, I would feel horrible. So, I give everything I find to Orochimaru! He has locks and all that in his office for safekeeping. He doesn't trust _anyone_, but I guess it comes in handy with stuff like that."

_Lost and found items are kept in the office, hm? Good to know._

That might not be a bad place to begin his search for the box from the order sheet.

"Which reminds me," Naruto reached forward and Kakashi relented the magazine into his grasp. The bellhop rolled it up with a determined nod and placed it under his arm. "I need to turn this thing in, too."

Kakashi tilted his head as he took in the blond. Responsible was never a word he would have used to describe him in the past, but being in the hotel seemed to have been the opportunity he needed to develop such traits.

"Tell me something, Naruto...How did you end up working in this place anyway?"

Naruto dropped his gaze, looking down at his feet. "...I couldn't find work anywhere else. All the way out here, it's like my criminal record doesn't exist. They don't even have _internet_. I know it's wrong to lie, but I was desperate and Orochimaru offered me a place to stay on top of a job. I couldn't believe it...Of course, maybe I wouldn't have been as eager to work here if I had heard the stories beforehand."

"What stories?"

Cerulean eyes returned to his with a newfound intensity. "This place is full of them, man!"

Kakashi doubted he would receive a favorable answer. "...Full of what?"

"Ghosts."

He stared back with dull apathy. "Ghosts?"

"Yeah," Naruto nodded. His eyes shifted around the room, almost as if he expected a ghost to jump out at them. "I heard about it from this talkative guy over at the newspaper stand. A long time ago, there was an...an _incident_. I think it was about ten years ago. A man and his son stayed here, but in the middle of the night, the kid disappeared. I heard he was only ten years old. Poor kid...The father searched everywhere, but when the sun came up, he was still gone. And after that," he dropped his voice to a dramatic whisper, "the _stories_ started. The murdered kid's ghost appears at night and does scary stuff. Guests hear him sobbing during the night, but when they try to talk to him, he vanishes! It was enough to keep people away and bankrupt the place."

Kakashi perked up at that. "Wait, the Dusk was bankrupt?"

Not surprising, but it was still new information.

"Yeah, it was shut down, completely abandoned, until Orochimaru took over five years ago."

Five years? From how proud the man was of the place, Kakashi assumed he had been in charge for much longer. That meant his strange naming system was relatively recent as well as the mystical rumors surrounding the rooms.

"He bought the place for nothing and _bam_!" Naruto flung his hands around for emphasis. "Hotel Dusk is open for business! Anyway, that's all I know. I tried getting more information once, but Orochimaru and Granny don't like talking about it."

That was interesting. Orochimaru seemed to enjoy sharing anything he found intriguing or unusual. He was the sort of man who wanted to see how people would react. Kakashi could understand him wanting to keep the hotel's sketchy past a secret for business, but why extend that to an employee?

He was also almost entirely convinced that Tsunade was this Granny person, but he couldn't understand the context. She couldn't have been much older than thirty—perhaps a generous forty—but she wasn't _old_. Perhaps her nagging reminded Naruto of what it might be like to be nagged by a grandmother.

"Hey...Kakashi Officer, can I ask you something?"

Naruto's tone was more uncertain and hesitant than it had been during their conversation. He was going to give him the benefit of the doubt and believe he wasn't about to ask if he believed in ghosts.

"Sure, Naruto," he nodded. "What is it?"

"It's kind of a weird question, but I just have this feeling and I need to get it out, you know?"

Kakashi stared pointedly at the nervous blond, urging him to continue.

Naruto took a deep breath then released a long exhale. "Okay, dattebayo. So, um...are you _not_ a detective anymore?"

He blinked, surprised by the question, but contained any further reaction.

"What gave you _that_ impression?"

Naruto scratched his head, directing his gaze to the side. "I'm not really sure. I can't put my finger on it, but I told you earlier that something was different about you. I was just wondering if that was it."

Kakashi sighed. He was a private person by nature and didn't feel comfortable sharing his history with other people. Not unless it was necessary. Even so, Naruto was...a friend? He wasn't entirely sure what position the little troublemaker held, but he cared about him. Perhaps there wasn't any harm in telling him the truth—a nondescript explanation with minimal details.

"You're right, Naruto...I'm not. I quit the force three years ago."

Naruto's eyes widened. "What? You're serious?! I didn't think that was _actually_ what was going on! I thought you were the kind of guy to be a cop for life."

_You and me both._

"So...what happened?"

...

"_Kakashi, don't—"_

"_Damnit, Obito! Why the hell did you do it?!"_

"_Don't move."_

_A silhouetted figure turning, Obito's weapon drawn, the piercing sound of a gunshot, the crash of the river and water pouring onto the docks._

"_Kakashi, for right now, I don't want you worrying about any of this. Go home and rest."_

"…_This is my fault, Chief. I take full responsibility for the fallout."_

...

Kakashi sighed but shrugged away the loaded question and his memory. "There was an incident. I messed up and people got hurt. Staying didn't feel right after that."

Naruto's eyes widened, a mix of realization and sympathy swimming in his blue gaze. "Damn...what are you doing out here, then? Were you trying to get away?"

"Not exactly," he shook his head. "My former boss set me up with a job out here so I could look for someone."

"Look for someone?" Naruto frowned. "But, you're not a detective anymore."

Kakashi felt a small smirk form at that. Naruto's mind was something else. "Not like that. I'm searching for my ex-partner."

"Your partner?"

"Yeah...Obito," his gaze dropped briefly. He rarely said it out loud, but every time he uttered the name of the friend who had abandoned his own principles, he felt that familiar wave of regret and frustration, but he had long since learned to maintain his composure despite those feelings. "I don't think you ever met him. At that time, he was shot and disappeared into the river. He's been missing ever since."

"That's a long time to be searching for someone...but I get it," Naruto nodded, offering a sad but stubborn smile. "Losing a friend hurts bad, dattebayo. If that happened to me, I don't think I would ever stop looking. I would want to believe he was alive until I had undeniable proof."

_Want has nothing to do with it. He's alive. I know it._

"So, you lost a friend, too?"

"...Yeah." That grief-stricken expression returned as Naruto once again lowered his gaze. "It was also three years back, actually."

Kakashi nodded. He had suspected as much. It must have been that friend the pickpocket constantly referenced back in the day. The friend he couldn't leave behind. If he was dead, though, that explained why Naruto refused to stick around in Manhattan.

After a silent moment passed between them, the blond lifted his head with a sudden grin and declared, "Anyway, I've got work to do! You should probably head out, too. It would be bad if someone caught you in here."

Kakashi felt a tinge of sorrow for the boy with the bright smile. He knew he was an adult now, but that innocent dreamer he first met on the subway was still a prevalent image. In the past, he had tried to protect him from the anguish of a life of crime, but he had failed. He had kept his distance, only stepping in when absolutely necessary. He wanted Naruto to come to the right decision on his own, but instead he had lost his friend and was forced to abandon his home. The kid had suffered his entire life, yet he was still the first to push aside his sadness for the sake of a smile and the possibility of a brighter future.

"Alright, let's go."

With a nod, he followed Naruto out of the room.

As the door shut behind them, they immediately stopped in their tracks. Standing in their path was a young woman with a unique shade of pink hair. Kakashi wondered if it was natural. If it was, then perhaps his own wasn't so unusual.

The woman was startled at first, teal eyes wide and mouth agape, but when she glanced at the magazine in Naruto's possession, her demeanor shifted to annoyance.

"Excuse me, what do you think you're doing?" the pinkette demanded, placing a hand on her hip and raising the other to point accusingly at Naruto. "Reading that in public? Don't you have any idea how inappropriate and disrespectful that is?"

Kakashi mentally remarked that it was only a swimsuit magazine. There were more _inappropriate_ things he could be reading.

Naruto leaned over to whisper in his ear, unfazed by the scolding. "That's Haruno Sakura. She's staying in the room across from you."

_Oh, joy..._

"She's very pretty, isn't she?" he continued, his whisper loud enough to travel the expanse of the hallway. "I would pursue her myself, but alas! My heart is already set on another!"

Sakura's eye twitched. Kakashi smirked. That must not have sat well with her.

"I've just about had it with you!" she predictably exploded. "You were flirting with me the _entire_ way up to my room, and now you're suddenly _in love_? I pity the poor girl a pervert like you has set his sights on!"

Out of breath but with an intense glare in place, Sakura stormed off.

Kakashi shook his head, releasing an amused chuckle, and turned to Naruto.

"Are you really serious about falling for Hinata?"

Naruto blushed, pursing his lips. "I think so...but I've never felt this way about anyone, so I'm not really sure, dattebayo." His eyes lit up, then, as he fixed Kakashi with a hopeful and pleading stare, reaching up to tug on his jacket sleeve. "You're old, right? You have experience? Share some wisdom with me!"

Naruto was under an interesting delusion if he believed that age equaled experience.

With a huff, he pried his arm away from the blond's fingers. "I'm not about to share my romantic history with you, Naruto."

As the Uzumaki's excitement deflated, Kakashi felt a spark of inspiration and smile to himself as he leaned closer. "But I _can_ share wisdom."

Naruto crossed his arms. "How can you share wisdom without telling me about your personal experiences?"

"Unlike you, I read," Kakashi retorted simply. "In the book I'm currently enjoying, there are several signs that represent the main character's true feelings. Every time he sees his love interest, his heart starts pounding. Everywhere he looks, _there she is_. He would sacrifice anything for her, but the most telling moment, when he knows for certain that he's in love, is when his lover is kidnapped by the rival love interest who turns out to be the main character's former childhood friend who is _then_ revealed to be his brother. It's so intricate and engaging...Anyway, you get the point."

"The point that...I have no _idea_ what I'm supposed to do!" Naruto exclaimed, frustration surmounting as he ran his hands through his hair. "What if she doesn't like me? She doesn't even _know_ me!"

Kakashi actually rolled his eyes that time. How could it be that _everyone_ dismissed the wisdom hidden in those stories? They were missing out on so much.

"Naruto," he placed a hand on the frantic boy's shoulder to calm him. "You asked me about _your_ feelings, which I believe are genuine, but why don't you take some time to think on it? And maybe cool it with the _head over heels _talk. She _doesn't_ know you and you don't know anything about her either, so take some time with that too."

Naruto nodded silently along as he spoke, determination pouring out of him the more he listened. "Get to know her...Yeah! I can do that! Great idea, Kakashi Officer! Uh...I mean, Kakashi."

Kakashi furrowed his brow slightly. The loss of the nickname had suddenly made him feel...disappointed. He hadn't expected that. There was nothing to be done, though. He _wasn't_ an officer anymore.

"Nah...I don't like it, dattebayo," Naruto decided, shaking his head in disgust. "It feels weird calling you by your first name like that. I'll stick with my name! Even if you quit, to _me_, you'll always be the same cop who arrested me a hundred times."

That was dramatic. It was closer to five times, but he didn't expect Naruto to keep track.

Kakashi smiled fondly. "I appreciate that. Let's keep that between us, though. Orochimaru is suspicious enough without knowing my past."

"Man, I hear you. This secret could ruin my butt, too. I'll just refer to you by something else when we're in front of other people." He winked and lowered his voice, "It's like having a code name..._undercover_."

Kakashi shook his head then and nodded toward the stairs. "Get moving, kid."

Naruto saluted once with a grin before running down the stairs. As his footsteps faded, Kakashi heard a door opening beside him. Turning, he saw the older woman from before stepping out of 211. Had she overheard their conversation? Even if she hadn't, it was probably a good idea to teach Naruto a lesson in volume control.

"Yoo-hoo! Pardon me, young man."

_I was right about the energy._

"Me?"

"Yes, that's right," she nodded. "I was wondering if you could help me. Do you know what time the restaurant opens?"

Ah, a simple request. She also wasn't behaving suspiciously around him, so it seemed his secret was still safe for the time being. "Yeah, it opens at six. You might want to stay in your room until then. Don't want you climbing stairs if you don't have to."

The woman adopted a mildly offended frown in response. "Is that so? I'm sturdier than I look, but I still appreciate your consideration. My name is Chiyo. Everyone calls me Grandma Chiyo, though, so feel free to use that, if you want. What is your name?"

Unlike with Tsunade, the grandmother nickname made sense.

"Hatake Kakashi."

"And what room are you staying in, Mr. Hatake?"

"215," he slightly inclined his head in the direction of his room.

The woman's eyes lit up then. "Ah! So, _you're_ the rascal who's staying in _Wish_."

_Oh, no..._

"Rascal? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, no," Chiyo shook her head, laughing once. "It's just such a lovely name for a room, and I was hoping to stay in it for my visit. Instead, I'm in Angel, which I'll admit is also very nice."

_I guess old ladies like the names. And she has a wish she wants granted. Well, that's something..._

"Why did you choose to stay here?" he inquired easily, slipping a hand casually into his pocket while he waved the other conversationally.

"Well, aren't you a curious one?" Chiyo smiled, "If you must know, I have some very dear memories of this place."

Kakashi arched a dubious brow. "What kind of memories?"

The old woman laughed once more, shaking a reprimanding finger in front of her. "That's a secret! The best memories are the ones you keep locked up in your heart. That's what makes them special. They're not the sort of things you share easily."

He couldn't say he related to that belief. He kept every memory locked up, dear or otherwise.

"Well, it was very nice to meet you, Kakashi. Maybe I'll see you at dinner." Chiyo then returned to her room, shutting the _Angel_ door softly behind her.

Half-expecting another interruption, Kakashi made his way to the ground floor and entered the lobby, finding two identical doors on the far wall separated by an ancient vending machine. A sign bearing the words _Front Office_ was posted on the door to the right. He stepped closer and walked, relieved when the long black hair and slitted yellow eyes peered out. Now, he didn't have to find him.

"Oh, it's you," Orochimaru's golden irises flared with recognition and delight. "Are you here to settle your bill?"

"Mhm," he nodded lazily. "How much?"

"I think fifty will do it."

Kakashi pulled out his wallet and counted out the appropriate amount before passing the money to Orochimaru. "There you go."

"Thank you for taking care of it," the man stated sincerely, tucking the cash into an unknown location within the folds of his shirt. "Oh, yes, and I head about that mix-up of yours. I am terribly sorry about that."

Kakashi shrugged. "It's fine. We figured it out, and the right package was delivered eventually."

"I am delighted to hear that, but you were on the receiving end of our mistake," Orochimaru explained with a hand flourish. "Allow me to make it up to you. Let's see…Ah! Yes, dinner! It will be on the house tonight! Tsunade-hime makes a delicious steak."

_Tsunade-hime? She's popular with the nicknames, isn't she?_

"I'll even throw in dessert for you. How does that sound?"

He wasn't partial to many desserts or even always in the mood for sweets, but he was willing to try it. "How can I say no to free food?"

"Only a fool would do such a thing," Orochimaru stated with an amused chuckle. He then stepped away from the door and closed it behind him. "Now, you'll have to excuse me. I'm going back to my room, so the office will be closed until…whenever. Whatever time I decide to come back."

The snakelike individual then proceeded to lock the office and creep down the hallway, disappearing through the door on the opposite side of the vending machine.

Kakashi glanced around once and, after confirming no one else was coming through the lobby, nodded. It was a perfect opportunity to poke around the office. He could scavenge the lost and found for the item on the order sheet, and there was also a chance he could find information on the mysterious guest with his name.

Withdrawing the paperclips, he easily picked the lock and crept in, closing the door lightly behind him. The office was simple, just like the rest of the hotel. There was nothing of apparent interest on the couches or coffee table, but the desk looked promising.

Moving closer, a calendar immediately stood out to him. The month was flipped to July and the 25th was circled in red ink. Why would that date be important to Orochimaru? He had thrown off his calendar for its significance. Tearing his gaze away, he noticed room keys hanging on the wall beside the desk. They must have been the spares, but 215 was missing. He arched a brow at that, sincerely hoping Orochimaru wasn't about to show up in his room unannounced.

He shuffled around a few more items on the desk. They were mostly newspapers, dated several days back, but hidden beneath one was a notebook titled _Supervisory Log_. Lifting the heaving tome, he opened to the most recent date and flipped backward through the pages to find anything useful but stopped once he reached December 26th.

_Tidied up the cabinets. Items left behind by guests are now in Drawer 3 while guest registration cards were moved to Drawer A. I also discovered a peculiar imbalance in my coffee table, so I—_

And the rest of the entry carried on in a similar manner, describing his defeat of the table's instability. Kakashi snapped the book closed and returned it to the original position on the desk. Turning, he found the filing cabinets and easily located the one marked _A_, which was conveniently unlocked. As described in the log, the drawer was filled with guest registration cards. They were labeled by month and year, so he easily picked out the one from June and scanned the pages until he found the one with his name on it.

…_Here it is._

The name Hatake Kakashi was written on the form in a suspiciously familiar script. The handwriting was almost a perfect replica of his own. As his eyes scanned the rest of the page, he noted that his counterpart had stayed in Room 217, but an alarming revelation temporarily pushed aside that detail as he took in the listed address. It was for a place he knew well, a diner in Manhattan that he had frequented with Obito.

...

_Kakashi's eyes narrowed as he watched the man in front of him lift yet another forkful of French Toast only to let it fall back onto his plate, strawberry syrup enveloping the pastry._

_Something was very wrong. Late last night, Obito had sent a text, inviting him to breakfast at their favorite establishment. While the sudden request and location were nothing out of the ordinary, the nature of the text was unusual. Obito's messages almost always included exclamation marks or emoticons, but they were absent if he was in one of his moods. Of course, the Uchiha had been in a mood for some time, but that was his first warning. _

_The second came in the form of the Uchiha's entrance, who slid into the booth across from him with only a nod as a greeting. The French Toast was a good sign, but he had also ordered a coffee. Obito hated coffee._

_And finally, the current display, which further confirmed his suspicions._

_He could either address the problem point-blank or take a more round-about approach to convince Obito to talk to him. He decided on the latter._

_Nestling further into the comfortable cushions of the booth, Kakashi crossed his arms and assumed a playful smirk as he remarked, "This must be a new record for you, Obito. You're usually such a glutton."_

_His classic teasing, which usually created a predictable outburst of irrational aggression, didn't even seem to faze the distracted Uchiha. Kakashi resisted the exhale he felt in the back of his throat and relented on a different tactic to break the haze he was observing._

"_How's Rin doing?" he asked. He had brought up Rin to uplift Obito's mood, but he was also genuinely curious. It had been some time since he saw the brunette, too caught up with work for socializing. She had planned an outing for the two of them to go Christmas shopping, but he, unfortunately, had to cancel at the last minute when he was called into the office. "I haven't talked to her since I stood her up for that shopping trip last week. Is she still mad at me?"_

_Obito's eyes shifted at the mention of her name, breaking his listless stare out the window to instead rest longingly on the bracelet clasped securely around his wrist._

"_...Rin is fine," he responded after another moment, his voice low and distant as he slowly traced the personalized message etched into the metal. "She's just busy. She understands why you canceled…but I sometimes wonder what the limit is to her understanding…"_

_Kakashi frowned, concern increasing as he observed the troubled detective._

"_Obito…are you alright?"_

_The question seemed to break Obito from his trance as he snapped his attention to Kakashi, meeting his gaze for the first time that day. "Yeah…I'm just stressed."_

_Kakashi considered questioning further. He knew he was lying but didn't want to push him. If Obito needed to talk to him, he would._

_Another moment passed before Obito pushed away his untouched meal with a sigh and rose to his feet, pulling a small wad of cash from his wallet and placing it on the table. "That should cover yours, as well, since I dragged you out here."_

_Kakashi's eyes widened. Obito had a big heart, and he had been known to be painfully generous on occasion, but he rarely exhibited such behavior with his silver-haired friend. That wasn't their relationship. There were several instances of the Uchiha denying any coverage of his bill on the—not incorrect—theory that Kakashi would take advantage of it if he ever gave in._

_Obito lingered a moment longer, regarding Kakashi with an impassable blankness in his onyx gaze, before he offered a slight quirk of his lips. "Thanks for getting breakfast with me, Kakashi."_

_He decided to withhold commenting on Obito's plate and point out that only one of them ate breakfast. He had a hunch it was more about the company than the food._

_Obito turned to leave when Kakashi's voice stopped him. "Are you and Rin coming to the Christmas party tonight?"_

_A silence fell between them, the question hanging in the air. Kakashi patiently waited for a response while his eyes focused unwaveringly on the tense form in front of him. He couldn't see his face, and he wondered what could possibly be going through Obito's mind as he considered his answer. Why did the question seem heavier than it was intended?_

_For most of the time he'd known Obito, the man had been an open book—every emotion freely presented and experienced—but lately, there had been an impervious wall blocking even his most basic thoughts._

"_I don't think so," Obito finally replied, a sudden hardness to his voice._

_Kakashi blinked and watched as his friend retreated further into himself, drawing his arms closer by shoving his hands into his coat pockets. His posture was rigid as he sought unknowable protection from his surroundings. "…I'm sorry."_

...

That was the morning before the shooting. It was the last time Kakashi had actually spoken to his partner. In hindsight, he regretted not being more forceful. There were countless signs that he hadn't addressed, choosing instead to respect his friend's privacy. Perhaps he could have prevented the devastating situation that occurred only hours later if he had been more willing to overstep that boundary.

Even at the time, he knew Obito wasn't apologizing for missing the party. He was far too serious for that, which had eventually become his natural state. A heaviness had been building in his partner for months, ever since he was assigned that final high-profile case. His endearing wide-mouthed grins and lighthearted laughter had gradually been replaced by hollow smiles and tense silences. His constant light and positivity had disappeared. An inexplicable change had occurred that Kakashi could only relate to the events that had transpired on Christmas Eve.

Was the apology that morning a sign of his imminent betrayal? Was Obito's conscience eating away at him while they sat together in that diner?

Kakashi's attention returned then to the registration card he still held in his grasp. Six months ago, Obito had stayed at Hotel Dusk. Who else could it have been? From Orochimaru's description of the _other Kakashi _to the sentimental address, all chances of the imposter being anyone else were slim. He also had a strong hunch that his deduction wasn't wrong.

Obito's presence in the hotel only left more questions. Why choose that diner? He was clearly dedicated to his role—even going so far as to emulate the Hatake's handwriting—so why didn't he simply use Kakashi's former New York address? For that matter, why use Kakashi's name at all?

He cleared his mind of those thoughts for the moment, returning to the task at hand. He couldn't waste time hypothesizing over impossible questions. He didn't know when Orochimaru would return, and it didn't seem wise to arouse the man's suspicions further.

Kakashi replaced the registration book in the drawer and slid it closed before scanning the remaining cabinets. He easily located _3_, but unlike the others, it was sealed with a combination lock. He pondered possible options for Orochimaru when his gaze wandered to the desk calendar, the circled date standing out against the white backdrop.

His curiosity invigorated, he entered 725 in the combination and the cabinet opened. Once again, he wanted to understand the significance of that date, but there was no time. He forced himself away from possibilities and peered inside the cabinet. He recognized the swimsuit magazine from earlier, but the only other object inside was an ornate red box.

_I think this is the one from the order sheet. The description was vague, but I haven't seen any other red boxes lying around._

Lifting the box from its confines, he observed the item closer. The woodwork was simple, with intricate black lines adorning the locked lid. He hoped the customer already had the key. Finding the box was easy, but keys were a different story.

He did a final sweep of the office and, determining he had been in the office long enough, slipped through the door. A flash of yellow appeared in his line of sight and he instinctively stepped aside as he heard a gasp of surprise. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Naruto almost fell into the closed door before he regained his balance and turned to stare at him with wide eyes.

"Whoa! I didn't even see you!" The blond laughed at himself, running a hand through his spikes before he seemed to remember where he was standing, and his jollity transitioned to concern. "Were you in the office? Wait…What were you doing in there? Were you…talking to Orochimaru about me?"

_Does he think I was gossiping about his past?_

"Relax, Naruto," Kakashi responded calmly, waving away his concerns. "I was taking care of some business. It had nothing to do with you."

Relief washed over his face as the ever-dramatic bellhop placed a hand over his heart and took a deep breath. "Oh, good! I almost had a heart attack, dattebayo!"

_Somehow, I doubt that._

Naruto's expression changed, then, as he dropped his hand and looked at the ex-detective curiously. His mood swings were as unpredictable as ever. "Kakashi Officer…would it be too nosy of me to ask what happened? When we talked, my mind came up with a bunch of crazy theories, but I don't want to assume anything bad…Can you tell me?"

He should have seen that coming. Naruto could be just as curious and nosy as him, if not more so. His vague answers were a tempting teaser of the truth that left the blanks open to the imagination, but he knew all too well the obscure directions that kid's mind often went in. One minute you could tell him the sky was falling and the next he would ask how cars worked. His mind was a mystery. He was also creating his own mystery by leaving Naruto in the dark. He usually enjoyed being in that position, but perhaps he could make an exception.

"I told you before that I messed up," Kakashi began, shrugging as he observed Naruto's reactions. "My partner and I were investigating a series of art thefts in Manhattan. Did you ever hear of Akatsuki?"

Naruto's face paled instantly as he shrunk back. "Did you say Akatsuki?!"

Kakashi arched a brow at that unexpected reaction, but perhaps he shouldn't have been surprised. Akatsuki was infamous in the legal world and their reputation would have been more renowned within the underground of Manhattan. It wasn't outlandish for the fear to pass down the chain to a lowly thief. "I'm guessing you're familiar."

"You bet I am!" he answered loudly, glancing suspiciously around before lowering his voice. He seemed to pick up on the need for discretion with their current conversation. "So…you were undercover with them?"

"No," Kakashi shook his head. "I was in the office drinking bad coffee. I handled the case on paper while Obito worked undercover."

_Obito was always better at those types of assignments…much better than I thought. He could deceive anyone. It was almost like he was born to put on a different face._

Naruto nodded once before his cerulean irises widened with realization and he threw his hands into the air, resting them on his head. "Oh, man! So, _he_ was the one…Now it all makes sense…I never thought running into you would clear that up."

Kakashi hardened his gaze, feeling himself grow increasingly exasperated with the unreliable statements spewing from the blond's mouth. "Clear _what_ up, Naruto?"

Naruto lowered his hands, letting them swing aimlessly at his sides as he stared silently at the ground. He remained speechless for another moment, before releasing a long exhale. "Three years ago—"

"There you are!" Tsunade's aggressive and demanding voice exclaimed from the lobby entrance.

Kakashi groaned. The woman had horrible timing.

"Oh, shoot," Naruto muttered, pressing his mouth into a pout.

Kakashi looked behind the despondent blond to see Tsunade standing with her hands on her hips and a stern frown pulling at her red lips.

"So, _this_ is where you've been wasting your time?"

Naruto's eyes snapped into an obstinate glare at the accusation. He spun on his heel to face the maid and defend himself. "I wasn't wasting time, dattebayo! I just finished mopping the restaurant!"

"And you think you're _done_ after that?" Tsunade questioned, crossing her arms. "The tables still need to be set for dinner and the cakes haven't been cut yet. We're about to open! I won't stand for your laziness, Naruto."

All defiance deflated from the bellhop as he hung his head and nodded. "Okay, okay. I'm going." Before he took a step, however, he closed his eyes and spat out his tongue playfully at her. "Don't get so worked up, Granny. You'll get wrinkles." He then scampered off to the kitchen, laughing as he moved before she could react.

Kakashi watched him leave, frustrated that they were interrupted when Naruto was about to open up, but it might have been for the best. They were standing in the middle of the lobby where anyone could waltz in or eavesdrop. He turned back to Tsunade only to catch her eyeing him suspiciously.

"Something on your mind?"

"I'm just thinking about you and Naruto. You seem…close. Do you know him from somewhere?"

Kakashi stared back at her, maintaining his bored stare despite the internal eye roll. Was everyone working in the hotel strangely observant? He had seriously underestimated the place. He would need to be more cautious or they might discover more facts about him than he was willing to share. His connection to Naruto was a safe unearthing, but their specific history would best-kept secret.

"Yeah," he shrugged. "I know him."

"I knew it!" Tsunade declared, her hazel eyes lighting with pride. "I knew my senses were leading me in the right direction." A frown then set on her features as she seemed to contemplate something before a hard stare tinged with diluted worry met his lazy one. "Do you happen to have any idea what he did before working here? He hasn't said a word about his past, and it's concerning. He's a bright young man…even if his work ethic could use some improvement. Don't tell him I said this, but he brought a much-needed light to this place. You must know what I'm talking about."

Kakashi smiled, understanding better than most. "Yeah…I do."

Even though his interactions with Naruto in the past were limited to arrests and warnings, he hadn't been able to resist the positivity circulating around him. In a way, it reminded him of Obito. The Obito of the past, at least.

"That is why I want to know what he's convinced himself he needs to hide from us," Tsunade continued. "Whenever I bring it up, he completely shuts down and gets this sad look on his face. I can't help him if I don't know what the problem is."

Kakashi contemplated the sincerity in her words. She was clearly concerned for Naruto, and he got the impression that she wouldn't cast him aside because of his past. Maybe Naruto wasn't aware of that, though. He could be awfully dense.

"I'm sorry," he shook his head, feeling genuine remorse for disregarding her concern. "It's Naruto's secret to tell. I can talk to him if you want, but I think you should hear the truth from him."

Tsunade clicked her tongue. "Very well. It was worth a shot. Anyway, I need to take care of the restaurant. I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon." Waving behind her, the woman walked off in the direction of the restaurant.

In the next moment, a text chime alerted him, and he glanced down as he pulled out his phone.

**Hanare:** Call when you can, darling. Jiraiya wants to talk to you.

Kakashi's brow creased in confusion. The message sounded urgent.

Sighing, he repocketed his device and made his way back to his room. If he was going to have a chat with Jiraiya, he wanted it to be in private. He also had to drop off the red box before Orochimaru caught him with it.

After shutting the door behind him, Kakashi deposited the box on his bed as he sunk into the mattress beside it. He took a moment to appreciate the stillness of the room before retrieving his phone to dial Jiraiya's number. Lifting the handheld to his ear, he only had to wait until the first ring ended for Jiraiya's explosive voice to reach him. He was right about the call being urgent. Usually, the man took much longer to answer.

"Kakashi!" Jiraiya greeted loudly, though it was absent of any underlying laughter. "I hate to get right to the point, but I need to ask you something. Is there a kid named Uzumaki Naruto working at Hotel Dusk?"

That was not at all what he was expecting.

He lifted a brow. "Naruto? Yeah, he's the bellhop here. I knew him back in the day."

"You knew him?" Jiraiya's tone turned more inquisitive. "What's his story?"

"He was an orphan who rode the subways picking pockets," Kakashi explained. It was a short story, but he didn't want to waste time on it. He didn't want Jiraiya to drag this out. "Why? What's going on?"

"Well," the older man began as a metallic squeak sounded, most likely from him leaning back in his chair. "I just got back from an interesting meeting with an old friend of mine. He's in charge of the LAPD's Akatsuki Task Force."

Task force? So Jiraiya knew people on the Akatsuki case. Why did he keep that from him?

"We were having ourselves a couple drinks, chatting about our mutual failures with the ladies when he suddenly mentioned Hotel Dusk and this Naruto character," Jiraiya continued. Knowing him, he was perfectly aware of the questions swarming in Kakashi's mind with every new piece of information, but he was relentless. He would continue as if nothing was wrong. "Seems Akatsuki has been looking for him."

Kakashi lowered his face to his hand. He was having difficulty processing that last tidbit, and he wasn't sure if it was because he was concerned for Naruto or if he just couldn't comprehend Akatsuki targeting someone like him. "That doesn't make sense. Naruto is strictly small-time. Why would Akatsuki care if he lives or dies?"

"Three years ago, some kid named Kiba was found dead outside a warehouse in Manhattan," Jiraiya explained, but that only added more questions. "By the looks of it, he was involved with Akatsuki. Not enough to be considered an official member, but he worked for them from time to time, mostly as the guy in charge of handling bribe money at drop-offs. When he died, there was a big payoff, but the money disappeared."

"What does this have to do with Naruto?"

"Kakashi, if you would give me _two_ _seconds_, I'm about to tell you," Jiraiya chided easily. "Word on the street is he was a good buddy of your pickpocket."

Kiba was the friend Naruto was trying to protect back in the city, the one who died. If that kid was connected to Akatsuki, then perhaps Naruto knew more about the organization than simply a fearsome reputation.

"Here's where it gets interesting," Jiraiya's tone adopted that conspiratorial air that only came out when he was unraveling an intricate mystery. "When Kiba died and the money vanished, Naruto also went missing. That disappearing act looked suspicious to Akatsuki, so Naruto is their only lead. They've been looking all over for him, trying to get their money back, and we think they've finally tracked him down."

Kakashi rubbed at his temple, closing his eyes as he tried to concentrate on the information rather than his disbelief with the situation.

_Akatsuki…I never thought I'd be hearing that name in this place._

"They're incredibly resourceful if they found him all the way out here, but if they know where he is, why is he still breathing?"

"They think he's just a pawn and there's someone else calling the shots."

That made sense, at least. Naruto wasn't the most intelligent person he knew, but he wasn't a complete idiot. He knew better than to steal from Akatsuki…maybe. That troublemaker could be irrationally bold, antagonizing all the wrong people, but he would never intentionally provoke a gang that wouldn't hesitate to retaliate. His friend was a different story. He had never met Kiba, but he might have tried a daring move that resulted in his death. He was stupid enough to get involved in Akatsuki.

"Oh! And this next tidbit is especially juicy!" Jiraiya's excitement was palpable. He would call him a gossip if the man didn't tend to keep the information to himself. "The money this Kiba kid was carrying when he died? It came from fencing stolen art."

Kakashi's eyes snapped open. "…Hang on…So, the money came from that mess Obito was involved in?"

"Could be," Jiraiya agreed. "Which means Naruto might have some dirt on Obito we never heard before."

Naruto was the last person he expected to be hiding a clue about the missing Uchiha. He was surprised to see a face from the past in a hole in the wall hotel, but he had been willing to write that part off as a strange coincidence. Naruto wasn't connected to Obito. Or so he thought.

Kakashi sighed lowly, "Yeah…maybe."

"By the way, have you found the item on the order sheet yet?"

"Yeah, I took care of it," Kakashi nodded. It was fortunate that he found the box so quickly. He could focus on the pressing mysteries without his job interfering. "Don't worry."

"Good! Business before hunting ghosts, you know?" The man laughed, booming and expected. Jiraiya's jolly mood had returned. "Alright, that's it for now. I'll be in touch."

The silence from the phone told Kakashi that the call had ended, but he remained unmoving. What was it about Hotel Dusk? Since the moment he walked through the front doors, he was met with nothing but secrets and pieces of his partner's trail. Obito's presence resonated in the walls, taunting him. Perhaps Naruto was right, and the place _was_ haunted.

_Naruto…I think it's time we had a talk _without_ interruptions._

A new determination flaring in him, Kakashi slipped his phone into his pocket and left his room behind. He knew Tsunade had pulled Naruto into the restaurant, so there was a strong chance he was still in there. He just needed a few minutes to sneak in and wrestle some answers from the former thief.

He shouldn't have been surprised to find his path blocked by Orochimaru ascending the stairs. Every time he moved, he was running into _someone_.

"Oh, hello!" Orochimaru greeted. "Good evening."

"Hey," he returned dismissively. "Do you know where I can find Naruto?"

"Oh, the child? No idea. He should be in the kitchen setting up for dinner, but if not, I would try his room," Orochimaru supplied unconcernedly before inquisitive gold eyes slithered to capture his stare. "Speaking of him, Tsunade-hime filled me in on your…_history_. You and the Naruto child are old friends?"

"Something like that," Kakashi nodded. He didn't feel like delving into his past with the person he was currently trying to locate. "Anyway, I need to talk to him, so would you mind directing me to his room?"

"It's on this floor, actually." Orochimaru chuckled, as he swept his hand toward the door between Konohamaru's and his own. "_Honesty_."

Kakashi blinked. If Tsunade knew Naruto was hiding something, then no doubt Orochimaru was aware. He must have thought placing Naruto in that room was a clever joke.

"You let him stay in one of the guest rooms?"

"I didn't have anywhere else to put him," Orochimaru countered, almost sounding defensive. "Tsunade-hime already occupies our only employee bedroom. I did the best I could to accommodate our bellhop. If you find him and discover his work is incomplete, drag him downstairs, will you? It's not assault if I tell you to do it." With another raspy chuckle and delight glowing in his eyes, Orochimaru strode down the hall.

_Actually, it's still considered assault._

Oh, nevermind. He didn't care what laws Orochimaru wanted to break.

Turning, he adjusted his path to lead him toward the specified door and knocked twice. If Naruto didn't answer, he would try the kitchen.

In the next moment, the door swung open to reveal the familiar blond on the other side, face scrunched with annoyance, but he released a relieved exhale when he recognized Kakashi. "Oh, it's only _you_! I thought for sure it was Granny trying to pull me back into the kitchen. She always thinks of something else for me to do _after_ I'm done. I tell you what—"

Naruto stopped himself when he noticed the serious expression Kakashi was awarding him.

"Oh…You have that arresting face on. What did I do _this_ time?"

"We need to talk, Naruto," Kakashi answered simply. He glanced once around the hall, then added, "And I don't want anyone overhearing."

Naruto's lips pulled into a frown as his brow furrowed, but he complied and pulled the door open further. "…Okay. Come on in."

Kakashi stepped passed him, briefly taking in the unsurprising mess of a room, before turning back to the blond as the door closed with a soft click.

"So…what's up?" Naruto asked hesitantly. He circled the area by the entrance, shuffling his feet as his eyes wandered.

"Why don't you tell me?" Kakashi insisted, crossing his arms with a pointed stare at the nervous bellhop. "When I mentioned Akatsuki earlier, you looked like you were going to be sick."

"Well, _yeah_! Those guys are terrifying."

Kakashi lifted a brow. "And your friend was involved with them?"

Naruto's eyes widened, incredulity reflecting in his gaze and posture. "W-what? How did you know? Who told you about Kiba?"

When Naruto was talking to him in the lobby, what was he going to say? Was he prepared to tell him the truth about his past? Was it possible he would have received answers without demanding them? Not that it mattered. The moment from before was interrupted and now they were in _this_ moment—a moment where he would learn the truth.

"I may not be a detective anymore, but I still have connections." He sighed, calming in intensity. He didn't want to scare the kid, but he needed to know the severity of his predicament. "Listen, Naruto…According to the LAPD, Akatsuki is looking for you."

"What?!" Naruto fell to the floor, landing hard on the cold surface with a drawn-out groan. "Man, why is this happening? This is _exactly_ why I had to leave New York in the first place!"

Kakashi hesitated a moment, before he lowered himself into a crouch, leveling his dark stare into those hysterical irises. "When your friend died, a lot of money went missing. Akatsuki thinks you have it."

Naruto shook his head despondently, as he muttered, "That's impossible. I don't know anything about their money. I never even _saw_ it."

Kakashi sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, resting his palm against his forehead. "I believe you, Naruto, but do you know who _does_ have the money?"

"Yeah…it was the guy who shot Kiba. It was Tobi."


	4. Chapter 4: Naruto

**A/N: **Hello, my dear readers! I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far! I just wanted to clarify something before you start reading this chapter so that no one gets confused. The flashbacks in this chapter will be from Naruto's POV as he tells his story. This will occur several times throughout this fic, so keep an eye out for chapters named after a character. Those are the backstories. Hopefully, this makes everything easier for you. Happy reading!

* * *

**Room 215**

Chapter 4

"Naruto"

-X-X-

"_Dude, this isn't a good idea. I mean…this is Akatsuki! You've heard the stories about what Pain does to people who cross him."_

_Akatsuki…the mysterious gang who rose up from the shadows to take control of Manhattan. They viewed the city as their property and ruled through fear. Pain, the leader, made an example out of anyone who challenged them._

"_It's not going to get that far," Kiba assured him as he stuffed a flashlight into his backpack. "Akatsuki won't ever find out about the theft because we're going to replace the art we steal with duplicates. And I've seen them, man. They look legit!"_

_Kiba scrolled through his phone a moment until he pulled up a picture on the screen. Naruto narrowed his eyes as he leaned closer, an impressive painting of a landscape glowing back at him. "Is…that the real one?"_

"_Nope!" the other teen declared triumphantly, snapping his phone closed. He grinned widely. "You see? Tobi's thought of everything. I swear, that guy's a genius. There's nothing to worry about."_

_Naruto frowned, crossing his arms as he leaned away. "What about Tobi? I don't like the vibe of that guy. He's hiding something. Why did he come to you with this if he's such a genius?"_

_Kiba rolled his eyes. "Because, Naruto," he began, joining the zippers on his bag and slinging it over his back. "He's smart enough to admit that he needs help. He told me himself that he couldn't pull this heist off without me. He needed an extra set of hands and someone to watch his back."_

"_Then who's going to be watching _your_ back?" Naruto retorted. "I don't understand why I can't go, too."_

"_I already explained that to you," Kiba huffed. He shook his head in annoyance. "Look, this is stupid. We're just going in circles. I'm going to do this whether you like it or not. I'm going to change our lives. Tobi will look after me. I've worked with him enough to trust him, so why don't you stop being so damn suspicious and trust me for a change? You're not the only one who can make a difference."_

…

Naruto stared silently at the ground, his hands hanging limply in his lap. Kakashi sidled closer and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. When the despondent blond finally met his gaze, he supported his weight as he slowly lifted him to his feet and guided him to the bed. When was the last time that boy washed his sheets?

"Naruto," Kakashi started gently. He wanted to respect his privacy in such a vulnerable state, but he needed to know the specifics. "Who's Tobi?"

"He's someone who worked with my friend. He was in Akatsuki."

"Did you ever meet him?"

Naruto shook his head, "No, I didn't, but Kiba said he was some kind of insurance-fraud pro."

"Insurance fraud?" Kakashi asked aloud. "Was that his role with Akatsuki's art thefts?"

"Yeah," the blond responded with a minute nod before releasing a deep sigh and falling back onto his mattress. "He'd get an art collector to insure something for a ton of money, right? Then, Akatsuki would steal the painting and the insurance money would roll in. When it was over, Akatsuki sold the painting back to the collector for big money. Kiba was in charge of the money from one of those sales when…," he closed his eyes wearily, "When he died."

Kakashi positioned himself on the foot of the bed and tapped Naruto's foot lightly, aiming to pull him even slightly from the depths of his memories. Naruto only curled in on himself and rolled onto his side.

"…He was tricked, dattebayo. He was gonna the steal some angel painting from one of Akatsuki's hideouts…but all he did was get himself killed. Well…that's not exactly right. It wasn't his idea to steal the painting. It was Tobi's."

Kakashi furrowed his brow, his instincts sparking from that particular detail. "What angel painting?"

"I have no idea, man," Naruto replied, exhaling in frustration as he pushed himself up and linked his arms over his knees. "That's just what Kiba called it. It was something he found in Akatsuki's warehouse. He was crazy about the stupid thing. Said it was worth a fortune. Said if we could score it, we'd be set for life," he shook his head. "…He always was an idiot."

_Unfortunately, I know all about having idiots for friends._

Kakashi pushed that thought aside and returned himself to the questioning. "Did Akatsuki find out what your friend was up to?"

"I don't think so, dattebayo…Only Tobi knew about the plan, and he was the one who killed Kiba…He betrayed him."

…

_Kiba was late._

_Naruto tapped his foot on the floor, hands clasped tightly and set on the table in front of him as he glanced constantly at the door. He had arrived at the restaurant as they had planned, but a half hour had already passed. He had been checking his phone every few seconds, hoping for a message from his friend._

_Was Kiba held up? He would have sent a message if he was running late…right? Kiba may have been an idiot, but when the situation was serious, he sent dozens of texts, updating Naruto on his progress. This was different._

_Naruto had a horrible feeling._

_Glancing once more at the door, the blond made up his mind—he wasn't going to wait around anymore. The last place Kiba was supposed to be was at that damn warehouse, so he would look for him there. If something had happened to him…_

_He shook away the thought as he tore out of the restaurant. Kiba was going to be alright. Naruto would find him and get his friend out of this mess. He had to believe everything would be okay. It was the only way he could continue putting one foot in front of the other._

_The night air was freezing with the beginning hints of snowfall. As Naruto slipped through the dim alleys of Manhattan, he was thankful that he had remembered his coat and scarf. He could be so forgetful sometimes._

_Several more minutes passed before the familiar sounds of the harbor reached his ears. He was close. The warehouse was stationed near a boat called _Ame_, which held anchor close to the main street. Their warehouse was hiding in plain sight, but discretion was Akatsuki's strong suit. They utilized it when it served their purposes and ignored it for the same reason. They were untouchable and everyone knew it._

_Everyone except Kiba._

_Naruto clenched his fists at the thought. He _knew_ this was a bad idea. He should have tried harder to talk his friend out of it. After he found him, he was going to give the guy a well-deserved punch for being so stupid._

_A light ahead indicated the entrance to the warehouse and the blond fastened his pace. It was idiotic to charge into Akatsuki territory, but he didn't care. His priority was finding his friend. The rest he would figure out later. However, just as he reached out to push open the worn doors, a sudden gunshot echoed from inside. Naruto instinctively crouched down and covered his head, expecting a succession of bullets in his direction, but the night air stilled after that single shot was fired._

_Naruto lifted his head and furrowed his brows. If there was a fight, he would have expected more of a commotion and some red clouds, but somehow one gunshot was more terrifying. Dread pooled in his chest as he turned to the thin stream of light leaking from the warehouse. Hesitantly and with shaking hands, he peered through the crack in the door, but his cerulean eyes immediately widened at the scene taking place on the other side._

_Standing with his back to him was a man in a long black coat with a gun in his hand, hanging by his side. He was staring down at something in the corner of the warehouse. Naruto followed his gaze to a pool of blood and a body lying on the ground, distinctive markings on his face serving as a nametag. A clenching in his stomach confirmed his worst fears—Kiba was dying._

_Naruto hung his head, tears clouding his vision as grief and guilt overwhelmed him. He raised a fist to strike the ground when he remembered the murderer was still inside, hovering over his friend's dying body like some sick maniac. As he lifted his gaze, he found the man again, unmoving and unrelenting in his stance._

_Rage instantly overshadowed his sorrow as he pushed aside the door and ran blindly toward the motionless figure. The man tilted his head in his direction and started to raise his gun when sirens sounded around them. Naruto also paused to listen to the chaotic sound as the blaring warning of cops mixed with gunshots. Death was all around._

_However, in that moment of distraction, his friend's killer slipped from the warehouse and out of sight. Naruto was prepared to chase after him, but a choked gasp below reminded him that Kiba was still alive. With frantic movements, he lowered himself to the ground and raised his friend's head, supporting it in his hand as he tried to lift him without disturbing the wounds, but Kiba immediately cried out with the shift. Naruto cringed as he felt his pain and regretfully returned him to his previous position._

"_Damnit, Kiba…What happened? Who was that guy?"_

_The other teen shook his head, his voice distorted and rough as he struggled to speak past the blood in his throat. "It was all a lie…Tobi…He…He was a cop the whole time…"_

_Naruto's eyes widened and the anger returned as he stared down at his friend. "Tobi did this to you?! If I ever see that bastard again, I'm gonna—"_

"_Naruto," Kiba pleaded hoarsely, his eyes staring distantly at the warehouse ceiling. "…I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't…get the money…"_

"_Don't you dare apologize! I don't care about the money, you dumbass!" Naruto reprimanded, his own voice thick from his unshed tears as he tried to laugh through them. "Now, come on. This is just a silly prank, right? Your injury doesn't look that bad. I'm going to get you out of here and a nice doctor is going to make you better in no time!"_

_Even as Naruto spoke, he watched the flow of blood circling his knees increase and Kiba's hand covering the gaping hole on his stomach slowly slip onto the cold stone._

_..._

The Uzumaki's eyes were planted on the floor, unseeing as he relived the horrific moment from his past. His body trembled and he wrapped his arms around himself, attempting to contain his three-year grief.

"…Naruto." Kakashi's gaze held the concern and sympathy he could never put into words.

Naruto simply shook his head, determined to continue. His cerulean irises wandered up to hold his stare with their intensity. "Kakashi Officer, what you told me earlier, in the lobby...You know, about working the Akatsuki case? I figured it out, dattebayo. The guy undercover was the one who did it."

"What?" Kakashi's eyes widened slightly. Why would Obito shoot a defenseless child?

…_Why did Obito do a lot of things?_

Naruto pushed himself off his bed and pulled open a dresser drawer. He shuffled haphazardly through the items until he seemed to find what he was searching for and turned, holding out a worn photograph with a grim expression. "Look at this picture."

Kakashi's brow creased as he extended his arm. Three men stood together in the photo, a large window and office desks lining the background. The one in the middle was shorter than the other two, with brown hair and strange red tattoos adorning his cheeks. Another unfamiliar figure stood on the left, though his long black hair and smile wrinkles under his eyes were rather peculiar. And on the right…That was a face he knew all too well.

"Yeah. That's right," Naruto nodded. He indicated the young man in the photo, "The guy in the middle's my buddy, Kiba. The guy on the right?"

Kakashi hesitated, dreading the teen's next words, "…It's Obito."

"It's Tobi," Naruto corrected.

Kakashi's face fell, relinquishing the picture into the blond's grasp. Obito was Tobi, the man who fenced artwork for Akatsuki and shot a boy in cold blood. Even when he knew Obito was the one who betrayed him, he could still picture the man who fought at his side and flared dramatically at the slightest provocation. He had been able to separate the two in his mind because they didn't seem like the same person, but now there was a physical image blinding him with its implications of Obito's reprehensible actions.

_Why did you do this, Obito? Why does the answer now seem further from my grasp?_

"Do you get it now?" Naruto's voice returned him to the delicate situation, the bellhop's eyes brimming with his barely controlled anger. "It was _your_ friend, _your_ partner. That's who killed Kiba! The cops used him, dattebayo! They used him as a tool in their stupid investigation. They used him and then they killed him when they didn't need him anymore! And nobody even cared," his voice cracked as he tore his eyes away. "He was just another street rat…Just another nobody. What's that worth to the cops? Less than nothing."

Kakashi withheld any reaction to those accusations. Naruto was upset and he needed to get that pent-up aggression out of his system before he could listen to reason. He didn't want to argue with him about the truth. Minato was the one in charge of the Akatsuki investigation, the one Obito answered to, and he would never sanction the murder of an innocent. He wouldn't use someone as a tool in an investigation either. If Obito manipulated and shot Kiba, then it wasn't under Minato's orders. Most likely, that was done under his own volition.

"And then your partner was shot on the docks 'cause he messed up," Naruto continued, his hands moving around him frantically. "The Akatsuki took him out. That's the reason you quit, right? Your partner screwed up, and the investigation went out the window."

"…No," Kakashi finally muttered, rising steadily from the bed. He paused to take in Naruto's confused expression before revealing the truth to the hysterical blond. "That's not what happened. Akatsuki didn't shoot him…_I_ did."

Naruto blinked. "What? What do you mean?"

Kakashi released a heavy exhale as he crossed his arms and lowered his gaze. "Obito double-crossed a lot of people, including the police. He sold out our intel to Akatsuki. All the evidence we had on them vanished, placed right into their hands, but that wasn't enough. They wanted to weaken us, so they went after detectives working undercover around the city and killed them. Most were home with their families for the holidays…Akatsuki didn't spare them either. It was chaos. When I found out, I should have helped, but I went after Obito instead."

He had often wondered if Obito knew what would come from his actions. When he betrayed them, was he aware of the slaughter that would take place? Did he intend for the violence he loathed to break out in the city, or was he fooled into believing he was only selling evidence and locations? But Obito wasn't an idiot, despite how frequently he chose to act like one. He must have known how Akatsuki would use the information, and he just didn't care.

"I shot him...and he fell into the Hudson. His body never turned up."

Naruto's wide eyes stared back at him, sympathy flooding the cerulean depths. "…I'm so sorry. I had no idea, dattebayo. So many people were hurt because of him…That asshole! He even screwed _you_ over! You must really hate him."

Kakashi sighed but refrained from commenting. It would be easier if he could hate Obito for what he did and be done with it, but he just couldn't. Even with this new information, it wasn't hatred that he felt. He just wanted to understand.

"Wait…you don't think he's dead, do you?" Naruto's change in pitch expressed his sudden epiphany. "I get it, Kakashi Officer! Yeah, I get it now! _That's_ why you're here. You want to hear the truth from the man who betrayed you. You're looking for Tobi! I mean…Obito."

Kakashi nodded.

"Wow, I wasn't expecting that, dattebayo," Naruto shook his head before his expression turned contemplative. "Hey…why don't we team up?"

Cocking his head to the side, Kakashi arched a single brow. "Team up?"

"Yeah!" Naruto nodded vigorously. "I think we can help each other! If what you're saying is true, Akatsuki is watching me, and they want me dead. I have _no_ _idea_ how to deal with that, but you have experience! You can help me. In exchange, I'll help you track down Obito. I don't know what you wanna do with him when you find him," he crossed his arms and frowned, "but I say we hand him over to Akatsuki. They'll get the guy who stole their money, and he'll get what's coming to him for screwing over so many people."

"Are you serious?" Kakashi was surprised by the venom that seeped into Naruto's voice at his suggestion. Since when did the little pickpocket have a vengeful streak? He knew the death of his friend still hung over him. He was forced to abandon his life only to recently discover that a single man was behind all that misfortune. Perhaps that level of hatred made sense, but he couldn't condone that behavior in the young Uzumaki. The path of revenge wouldn't heal anyone.

"Absolutely!" Naruto replied excitedly, a wide grin stretching across his lips. "I'll follow your lead, Officer. Just say the word!"

Kakashi shook his head, running a hand through his silver hair. "…Let me think about that, Naruto." His gaze fell on the digital clock by the bellhop's bedside that indicated they were only a few minutes away from six. "It's almost dinnertime. How about we put a pause on this heavy topic and head down, hm?"

Naruto chuckled and lifted a hand to pat the older man's arm. "Nice deflection, Officer. You're lucky I have to head down anyway or that wouldn't have worked on me. Don't think I'll forget this conversation."

Kakashi rolled his eyes but slipped his hands into his pockets as he moved toward the door. "I didn't think you would."

The blond stepped quickly around him to reach the hallway first, a self-satisfied grin plastered on his face at the small victory. Kakashi felt a slight uplifting of his mouth at the sight. Meeting Naruto helped him learn some things he didn't know before. That information brought him a step closer to Obito's trail. His ex-partner murdered his Akatsuki connection and took the money. Why the hell did he do it? Could it be that angel painting?

_Obito…please, tell me you didn't betray everyone for a damn piece of art._


	5. Chapter 5: 6 O'clock

**Room 215**

Chapter 5

"6 O'clock"

-X-X-

The stairs creaked angrily under the double weight as Kakashi strolled casually down the steps with a grinning Naruto in front of him, skipping along the platforms effortlessly until finally landing on the ground floor with a self-congratulatory cheer. The older man shook his head at the blond's antics, a smirk playing on his lips as he prepared a mocking remark, but the fun was cut short when his cellphone rang.

He restrained the urge to pout childishly at the interruption as he instead revealed the ringing device from the confines of his pocket, but his curiosity awakened when a familiar name flashed on the screen. He was planning to call Jiraiya after dinner to update him on the information he learned from the earlier chat. Had he become so predictable that the man knew he would have already confronted Naruto about the situation with his friend? Either Jiraiya had asked his secretary to get in touch with him so he couldn't delay the sharing session, or she was calling for another reason altogether.

Tilting his head slightly, he accepted the call and put the phone to his ear. "Hanare?"

"Hey, sweetie," the brunette greeted in her typical fashion, though her voice was suspiciously lacking its signature teasing lilt. "Who's Obito?"

Kakashi's eyes widened. "...What?"

How did Hanare even hear that name?

He glanced up only to see Naruto staring back at him in concern. He offered the boy his signature smile and directed him toward the restaurant. He had to work, anyway.

Naruto frowned, obviously displeased with the secrecy, but for once he decided to be obliging without a fight and turned into the double doors that marked the hotel's dining area.

Kakashi looked around and stepped away from the public space toward the more secluded terrain of the empty lobby. He ran a hand through his hair, then, as he realized Hanare was patiently waiting for him to respond in a way besides shock.

"Why are you asking me about Obito?"

"After you got off the phone with Jiraiya, I heard him talking to himself," she explained easily, a light laugh in her voice. "Well, muttering is more like it. He said something about giving up the search for Obito. Come on, Kakashi, who's Obito?"

_Of course he did. Jiraiya thinks my search is a waste of time. He doesn't believe I can find Obito…He also doesn't think I would find anything worthwhile even if I did. He gave up on Obito when he heard what happened, but I haven't. Not completely. A part of me, a foolish part, is still holding onto the hope that my old friend still exists inside the stranger who betrayed me._

"Obito...," Kakashi began before sighing heavily. He knew offering vague details about his past wouldn't satisfy her for long, and he planned to tell her eventually, but not yet. "Forget it, Hanare. It's…personal. It has nothing to do with you."

He heard an audible exhale from the other end. "Okay, okay. I get it. But you know I'm here for you, right?"

_Yeah, I do. I don't know how you continue putting up with me._

"...I appreciate it, Hanare," Kakashi smiled, hoping she could understand his sincerity. And with that, it was time to change the topic. Maybe he should just take the initiative to update his drunk of a boss. "Hey, is Jiraiya there?"

"Sorry, darling, but he just stepped out. He turned off his phone, too, so you'll have to wait until he gets back to talk to him."

Kakashi rolled his eyes, "Figures. Just have him call me when he gets back."

"Will do."

The call ended, and he lowered the phone with a long exhale.

_Maybe Jiraiya is right. Maybe my search for Obito is a fool's errand...Of course, I don't know what I'd do if I gave it up...Other than quit this miserable job._

Shaking his head, Kakashi then turned to head into the restaurant when he caught sight of Sarada and her father emerging from the double doors, both looking upset.

_Well, look who it is? I wonder what's bothering them._

He decided to simply wait close to the wall to observe their interaction. It would be rude to interrupt.

"Sarada," the girl's father spoke sternly, leveling his reproaching onyx gaze on her. "Sarada, look at me while I'm talking to you."

Sarada kept her head directed toward the wall, refusing to look at him as she crossed her arms with a frown.

The man sighed, placing a hand to his head in obvious frustration. "Why would you do that while we're eating?"

"It was an accident!" Sarada defended fervently, finally meeting his eyes. "I was upset. I…I'm really sorry, papa."

Her father shook his head, lowering his arm as his features softened slightly. "I know, Sarada. Just…go back to the room for now. I'll be there in a minute."

Sarada nodded slowly. Kakashi caught sight of the beginnings of tears in her eyes as she turned away and walked hastily up the stairs.

Kakashi wavered slightly at the uncomfortable atmosphere left behind by the exchange but waved it away as he approached the lone figure and casually stated, "Looks like a rough job. Raising kids, I mean."

Those black eyes rose to meet his, narrowing in question, before they hardened into a cold glare. The guy could be wary of him, but that response was just rude. Oh well.

Kakashi shrugged easily, the intense look hardly fazing him. "Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot. Maybe we can start with introductions. I never caught your name."

"Sasuke," was his simple response.

"Nice to officially meet you, Sasuke," Kakashi replied lightly, holding his hand out. "Hatake Kakashi. I'm a salesman for Red Crown."

Sasuke ignored the offered hand, but his glare dissipated slightly into confusion as his eyebrows furrowed. "Hatake...Kakashi?"

"Yeah," Kakashi nodded. "That's my name. Something wrong with it?"

"No," Sasuke instantly shook his head, the puzzled look still present in his stare. "I just...thought for sure I'd heard it before, but we've never met."

_Again?_

"We haven't. Do you know someone with my name?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, as if deep in thought. "No, but..."

"But?" Kakashi pressed.

Sasuke's expression shifted, then, into a blank façade as his stare wandered to the side. "Nothing." The dark-haired man stepped around him and retreated toward the staircase, following his daughter's previous trail.

_You've gotta be kidding me..._

Was someone going to tell him that was also just a coincidence? Orochimaru reacted the same way to his name—just more suspiciously—but his concerns were valid considering there _was_ another Hatake Kakashi who stayed at the Dusk six months ago. If Sasuke also knew Obito...what could be their connection?

Kakashi tore his gaze away from Sasuke's previous position and forcefully directed himself toward the white double-doors. He could think more on that later. Lifting a hand, he pushed open the right door and crossed the threshold. A grinning Naruto planted at the host stand and a long hallway greeted his vision, stopping at a single door before curving to the left where he assumed the actual restaurant was located.

"Good evening, sir!" Naruto greeted energetically, lowering his torso into a dramatic bow. "Welcome to the Moonlight Grill."

Kakashi crossed his arms, smirking as he regarded the younger man. "I like the 'sir'. That's a nice touch."

The blond troublemaker spat his tongue out childishly as he straightened. "I'm just doing my job, dattebayo."

"Why are you called the bellhop when you work other jobs?"

"Because this place is insane!" Naruto exploded suddenly, waving his hands around him emphatically. "Orochimaru is a slave driver! As soon as the sun goes down, on top of my _normal_ duties, I become the host for the restaurant, and then I have to tend the bar."

Kakashi's eyes lit up slightly at that last bit. "There's a bar in this place?"

"Oh, right. I guess you didn't know," Naruto laughed, before directing his hand toward a door at the end of the hall that stood adjacent to a swinging white door. A bright neon sign hung over the top of the bar entrance. "That's it, right there. It's called Seven Suns and that big colorful sign is like a beacon, so you can't miss it. Ooh!" his mouth dropped open excitedly as he leaned forward. "Do you wanna grab a drink with me later?"

Kakashi lifted a single brow at that inquiry. "Naruto, if I remember correctly, you're still underage. Nineteen is not the legal drinking age."

Naruto's lips pressed into an immature pout, "I meant if you wanted to hang out there with me! I'm the bartender, so I have to focus on that anyway. Even if I _was_ old enough, I wouldn't be allowed to drink on the job."

"So, you want me to drink in front of you while you lament over your age and work barriers?"

"Hey," Naruto lifted a single chiding finger and leveled it at him. "I actually like working in the bar. It's my favorite thing to do here."

Kakashi raised his arms as he took a step away from the dramatic scene in front of him. "Alright, I believe you. I was thinking of stopping by regardless."

"Yay!" the blond pumped his fist into the air in triumph. He then attempted to compose himself and return to a sense of professionalism, but the wide grin was still in place. "Anyway, we have a table ready. Tonight's special is a big steak with some kinda weird garlic butter and mashed potatoes."

_Mmm…sounds delicious._

Kakashi shrugged, maintaining his surface indifference. "I could go for a steak."

Naruto nodded, making a delighted sound with his lips as he pulled out his phone and started typing out a new text. Kakashi peered over his shoulder and saw that he was sending the new order to Tsunade. He nodded in approval at their system. It was fast and reliable, if not unprofessional.

After sending the message, Naruto dropped his orange phone onto the host stand and smiled. However, in the next moment, his eyes widened in alarm and his hands clung to the sides of his head.

"Shoot! I totally forgot to ask, dattebayo! Is there anything wrong with your room?"

Kakashi tilted his head. "Wrong?"

Was that a normal question to ask the guests?

"Yeah, dattebayo," Naruto nodded, lowering his arms to instead cross them comfortably over his chest. "You know, the lights don't work or the water's messed up or there are rats or whatever?"

Kakashi chuckled to himself at that. So much for Orochimaru's paradise on earth.

"Nope. Everything's just fine."

The honorary host placed a hand over his heart and released a relieved exhale. "Whoo! Good to hear. Some of the rooms are messed up pretty bad. Orochimaru hasn't let anyone stay in them for six months!"

Six months? That was around the time the guest with his name had stayed in the hotel. Was there a connection?

"You've had rooms out of commission for the past six months?"

"Yeah, they're in bad shape, but Orochimaru refuses to pay to get them fixed," Naruto rolled his eyes. "Says he doesn't trust mechanics."

Orochimaru didn't trust anyone, apparently.

"Which rooms?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes, face scrunching in concentration as he seemed to dig around for the information. "Uh...just 217 and 218, I think. 220 is our suite, but I consider it out of commission most of the time too 'cause most people don't stay there. Only the occasional couple and the mayor from the next town over." He paused to laugh lightly, shaking his head as he revealed, "That guy is obsessed with the love symbolism in that room, for some reason. He even has it tattooed on his forehead."

_So, it isn't just old ladies who like the room names. Crazy mayors like it too._

Kakashi pushed aside the amusing thought, grounding himself in the information Naruto was sharing. Room 217 was included in the list of rooms that were out of commission.

"So, 217 is out of bounds?" he asked nonchalantly, rapping his fingers against the host stand.

That meant he could easily poke around to look for clues regarding Obito's supposed visit.

"Yep! What are you thinking?" the blond asked, tilting his head curiously.

Kakashi shrugged. There was no harm in sharing his theory with the eager bellhop. "I know that room. That's where someone with my name stayed six months ago."

Naruto's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "How did you find _that_ out?"

"I looked at the guest register," he responded matter-of-factly.

"Aw, man," Naruto brushed a hand through his spikes with a forlorn sigh. "Why did you go and do something like that?"

"I think the guest with my name was Obito."

The Uzumaki's cerulean irises widened in alarm, traces of anger darkening their depths and overshadowing his worry. "Are you kidding me?! Obito was _here_?!"

"It's a hunch, but I think I'm right."

"No," Naruto shook his head frantically. "No, there's no _way_! I would've recognized him. And if he stayed here with _your_ name, I would have noticed that too. You saw how I acted with the packages."

That was true. Naruto wouldn't have missed the Uchiha if he came for a visit. Did Obito remember him from their brief confrontation three years ago? Did he know to avoid him? It was safe to reveal himself to Orochimaru since the older man wasn't connected to his past.

"Look, man...Even if you're right, you can't just go running around the hotel like you own the place. Chasing clues is one thing, but this is crazy! You're not a cop anymore, dattebayo! You can't be picking locks and breaking doors and all that! If Orochimaru finds out, he's going to totally freak!" Naruto paused in his rant to take a deep breath and calm himself before continuing, "That's not to say don't do it...You want answers and I wouldn't mind having some either. My point is you need to be careful. We're a team now, and I can watch your back when you do your snooping stuff."

He couldn't risk Naruto's stable job by dragging him into his shady investigation. It would be best if the kid stayed out of it.

Kakashi crinkled his eyes, putting on a smile as he waved away the idea. "That's an interesting offer, Naruto, but I've got it covered. I'll let you know if I need anything."

Naruto frowned, eyeing him suspiciously a long moment, and Kakashi wondered what could be going through his mind. The blond had already proven his uncanny abilities of perception and stubbornness. Whatever words came out next, it was clear that he wouldn't let it go that easily.

"Hm...alright, dattebayo," Naruto finally nodded. He returned to his original position behind the tall stand and indicated the corridor behind him. "Anyway, the restaurant is down that way and around the corner. There's a table in the center that's free, so you can take that one."

Kakashi dipped his head once at the teen, grateful that he decided to drop the subject, and followed his directions toward the restaurant. However, after rounding the corner, he stopped short with a raised brow as he observed a rather distressed looking pinkette blocking his path.

"Something on your mind, Sakura?"

"Oh!" she gasped, teal eyes widening in surprise a moment before they calmed with recognition. "Oh...it's you."

"Yep, it's me. Kakashi, by the way," he offered as an afterthought. He was losing track of all the introductions he still had to make, but Sakura was probably the last one. "You never heard me coming, did you?"

Sakura shook her head miserably. "No, I'm sorry. Something awful happened, and now I can't focus." She released a forlorn sigh as she lifted a hand to her temple. "Tell me, Kakashi...have you ever been hated by someone?"

Well, this was bound to be interesting.

Kakashi responded with an easy shrug. "I'm sure I have. Why?"

"There was this child in the restaurant who said she hated me," Sakura gestured to the door behind her, her voice gaining volume as she spoke. "She told me to go away!"

Kakashi tilted his head, his mind instantly connecting her experience with what he overheard from Sasuke in the lobby. Also, as far as he knew, there was only one child staying in the hotel. "Are you talking about Sarada?"

"Is that her name? Sarada?"

"Yeah. What exactly did she do to you?"

"She threw her doll at me and ran off!" Sakura revealed in exasperation, running her fingers through her pink locks, calming her breathing.

For no reason? That didn't sound like Sarada.

"Why did she throw her doll at you?"

"I have no idea," Sakura stated defensively, crossing her arms as she looked away from him. "She must have been raised without manners. I didn't even do anything to provoke her. She had an adorable handmade doll, and I just asked who made it."

"That's it?" Kakashi pushed, unconvinced. He didn't know the pinkette well, but Sakura was reactive, if her interaction with Naruto was anything to go by. If Sarada offended her, he could easily imagine her not taking it well.

"Yes, that's it," Sakura nodded. "I didn't say anything that could be construed as rude or mean. That's why I was so upset."

"You don't think you're being a tad overdramatic?" Kakashi asked, meeting her gaze with a trace of disbelief in his own. "A _child_ said she hated you. What adult hasn't been hated by a kid at some point?"

Sakura's eyes widened in offense, her mouth hanging agape, but Kakashi had no sympathy to spare.

Sarada was missing her mother. She was most likely speaking from some unhinged emotion. She was probably in a mood at dinner, and some strange lady getting in her business set her off.

"Kakashi?" Sakura's voice demanded his attention.

He lazily regarded her. "Yes, Sakura?"

She pursed her lips, teal irises flaring as she curled her small hands into fists. "I find you ill-tempered and brutish. You have no idea how to treat a lady!"

With an indignant huff, she stormed off...again.

Kakashi watched her retreating figure, confused due the lack of context with her insult, but he shrugged it off. Sakura's tantrum was hardly anything to spend time contemplating excessively. She would get over it.

_Oh, well. Time to eat._

He pushed open the simple door and entered the restaurant only to find that it was entirely empty. This place was becoming predictable.

_Really, Naruto? 'The center table is empty'? _Every_ table is empty._

The center table was not his first choice anyway, due to his disinclination to mingle in the crowds, so he chose a more favorable option in the corner. As he approached, he noticed a piece of striped fabric sticking out under the lilac tablecloth. Curiously, he reached a hand forward and retrieved a plush doll—complete with a dress and angel wings.

It must have been the doll Sakura mentioned. Sarada needed to keep a better eye on her belongings.

Kakashi sunk into the nearest chair and placed the doll upright in the adjacent one, its position mirroring his own lazy posture. He chuckled to himself as he took in his temporary companion.

_It's been a long time since I shared a meal with someone. Hm…it's also been a long time since I had dinner this early. I've gotten so used to eating at odd hours._

His lighthearted musings were interrupted by the sound of the door opening behind him, followed by Tsunade's powerful voice. "Sorry to keep you waiting! Busy, busy, you know?" As she spoke, the curvaceous woman marched across the expanse of the dining room, a single white plate in her hands. When she reached him, she offered a slight pull of her red lips as she placed the meal on the table. "Here's your rib-eye steak, Kakashi. This is a personal favorite of mine. It was seared with salt, pepper, and my own homemade garlic butter. It smells delicious, doesn't it?"

Kakashi paused, taking a moment to inhale the succulent scent of cooked meat and garlic, before he looked to Tsunade with a closed-eye smile. "It sure does."

Tsunade merely smirked at his reaction to the meal. "Well, I'm happy to hear it. Enjoy!"

With a rushed wave, the blonde left the room, most likely on her way back to the kitchen. That woman worked too much.

Kakashi then turned his attention to the meal in front of him. After lifting his fork, he playfully poked the steak, laughing to himself a moment as he recalled a scene from his book, before he started eating. It tasted much better than he expected. So far, the food was the best part of the illustrious Dusk. Apart from the enticing thread of mysteries, of course.

There was once a phase in his youth when he took up cooking. It was mostly done out of boredom, but he ended up pretty good at it. He mastered several styles of cooking fish but never quite made it to steak. He wondered if there was a trick to it or if following the instructions was the better route.

A cup of steaming coffee being placed in front of him broke his temporary solitude.

"Finished already?"

"Hm?" he asked distracted, placing a final piece of meat in his mouth.

Tsunade rolled her eyes at him. "I'll take your plate now, if that's alright. Is it? I'm sure it is!" She reached a hand forward to grasp the empty dish and removed it from his view.

_That was presumptuous, but I was already done anyway._

"Well, look at that," the maid's eyes shone with enthusiastic surprise. "You joined the Clean Plate Club! Not a crumb left."

The woman was joking, but she wasn't wrong. That clean plate was his accomplishment for the day.

"Hey, it's less work for you this way," Kakashi winked. "I'm just doing my part."

Tsunade smirked, hazel eyes gleaming with mirth. "Well, aren't you just a charmer?"

He simply tilted his head in response with a coy lift of his shoulders.

She rolled her eyes again and set a new plate in front of him, with some sort of cake and garnish on it.

"This is from Orochimaru," Tsunade answered to his confusion. "It's his apology for the package mix-up. This is another house specialty: tea chiffon cake. I blend the cream myself."

He wasn't sure what he was expecting when Orochimaru offered dessert, but he might actually enjoy this one. It didn't seem overly sweet.

"Sounds good."

"Take your time and enjoy. There's no need to rush."

And with that, Tsunade retreated once more through the door.

Kakashi nodded approvingly at Orochimaru's gift of generosity. He lifted the still steaming mug of coffee to his lips, savoring the flavor, and was about the try the cake when a voice interrupted him.

"Kakashi!"

_I'm never going to catch a quiet moment, am I?_

Unfortunately, he recognized that voice, and when he turned in his seat, he witnessed a beaming Deidara approaching.

_Great...I bet he wants a bite of my cake._

Kakashi swiftly snatched the first bite before the man could ask. It was good—absolutely what he preferred in a dessert.

"Deidara," he greeted dully after swallowing. "Here for the food?"

"Oh, no! I ate earlier, un!" the artist replied, shaking his head. "While I was on the road, I found this seafood place that had these _unreal_ crab legs. The flavor melted in my mouth! In fact, as I sat there in that sad establishment, infested with roaches, I felt _inspired_. My art has been lacking in inspiration lately, and that seafood place was exactly the spark I needed, un!" Deidara's hands curled into fists as his side, determination overpowering in his tone. "I need to show more raw emotion in my creations! I feel _thousands_ of emotions as I delve into my superior craft, but that message is always lost. No one understands the beauty of my art. They're all blind! But, I will just 'up my game' and create more dramatic pieces!"

Kakashi withheld a sigh. He had asked a simple question, and Deidara turned it into a monologue about his art. This man's rambling was on another level. "That doesn't explain why you're standing in this restaurant. Unless you were inspired to draw lonely dining rooms."

Deidara's mouth fell open in awe. "That is an inspired idea, Hatake Kakashi, un!" He then lifted a hand in front of his face, sweeping it across the air as if he could envision the scene. "The weary traveler stops for a moment only to be enveloped by the surrounding emptiness. He realizes...that he is all alone."

For a moment, he was reminded of Gai. The theatrics, at least. The annoyance he felt from the nonstop chatter was entirely special to the artist.

"Deidara, I'm too full to run away," Kakashi stated dryly. "What do you want?"

The artist's eyes narrowed slightly in reaction to the abrupt question, but he waved it away by raising a fist to his mouth and clearing his throat unnecessarily loud. "Ahem! I wanted to ask you something, and you weren't in your room."

Kakashi quirked a brow at that. Deidara went in his room?

"About that package thing earlier, I'm still missing something. I got the notebook, but there should have been something else inside." Deidara's visible blue eye strayed toward the far wall, a distant appreciation in his stare. "Something small and glorious, with the surreal beauty of a vacant sunrise shining over the mountaintops." His gaze then glided back to meet Kakashi's. "Did you see anything like that, un?"

What obscure sort of description was that? Where did he even come up with that garbage?

"Nothing springs to mind," Kakashi shook his head. "Unless you consider the everyday cardboard box _glorious_."

"Eww," Deidara's face scrunched in revulsion. "That's offensive! I'll have you know that my taste is much more elegant!" The artist then flipped a hand through his blond locks—a dramatic attempt to prove his point. "I'm talking about a bookmark. It's blue with a painting of an angel on it."

_An angel, huh? They must be popular._

"Sounds lovely."

"It's the loveliest piece of art you'll ever set eyes on!" Deidara nodded eagerly, his wide grin returning before it shifted into a smirk. "With the exception of my work, of course, un."

Kakashi cocked his head at that. "What's so special about that notebook anyway?"

The other man's eyes narrowed, the side of his mouth twitching. "You didn't...," his voice lowered perceptibly, rage seeming to swarm in his blue irises. "Did you look at it?"

Wow…Did Deidara miss his compliment about the sketches after he handed over the notebook? Perhaps that wasn't so outlandish. The man's nose was practically buried in it from the second it was in his hands. It might have been for the best anyway. That aggression on his face was intriguing but not to prod. Not yet, anyway.

"I'm not much of a reader." A lie, but Deidara would never know the difference. "I only looked at the cover."

The artist fixed a long stare on him, his visible eye shining with suspicion. Kakashi simply returned the look with an impassive expression.

After another moment, Deidara nodded, his countenance easing. "That is for the best, un."

_What is the mighty artist so worried about?_

"My bookmark is in your hands," Deidara added finally, holding his hand up in a parting wave before turning on his heel.

As the man left, he passed by Tsunade, who offered him a curious look before he disappeared from sight.

_I'll have to remember to check the box later. I'm also curious about his bookmark. This angel thing…is it just a coincidence this time?_

"Are you—," Tsunade started to ask but cut herself off with an affronted gasp when she took in the state of his plate. "You've barely touched your cake! Do you not like it?"

Kakashi instantly shook his head, to quell the woman's offense, and held his hands up innocently. "No, it's delicious. I was just busy listening to Deidara's droning."

"Oh, the guest in 211?" Tsunade pointed behind her, at the spot the mysterious artist previously stood. "He seems so familiar..."

"Does he?" Kakashi shrugged. "Apparently, he's some kind of artist."

Maybe even a practicing poet.

"Oh, I'm so foolish!" Tsunade exclaimed, raising a deprecating palm to her forehead. "How did I not notice? I saw his name on the guest registry, but I never thought it was _the_ Deidara! I can't believe he's staying here!"

Kakashi stared at the woman in disbelief. "Don't tell me you're a fan."

Although, to be fair, the sketches in that notebook _were_ incredible. The man was talented, but Deidara would be significantly more appealing if he talked less.

"I'm not crazy or anything, but I enjoy his work."

Kakashi leaned into his chair, crossing his arms over the back as he regarded Tsunade with an inquisitive pondering. Maybe he would learn something interesting about the eccentric blond. "What kind of artist is he, anyway?"

When Tsunade lifted a finger to her painted lips, he reached behind him for the plate of cake and took another bite. Tsunade might be ready to give him a history lesson, so he could indulge in some dessert while he listened.

"Well, his first painting came out about ten years ago and he won some major awards," Tsunade began, her hand fisting to support her chin as she continued. "The painting depicted a lone man in the shadows of a city street watching a couple and their child. There was barely any color in the entire painting. It was a heavily shaded monochromatic red piece. It was very haunting, and everyone assumed the man was going to murder the family, but viewers couldn't help wondering what his true motive was. Deidara must have accounted for this reaction because he cleverly incorporated clues into the canvas that revealed the character's story. Collectors were very excited to get their hands on it. They called him _The Maestro of Contemporary Mystery_."

He hadn't expected something that intricate to come from Deidara, but perhaps the man was more than he appeared.

Taking another bite of cake, Kakashi hummed in contemplation then waved the fork in front of him languidly. "What was the painting called?"

"Betrayal," Tsunade answered easily. "Even with the clues, the meaning is up to interpretation, but what _I_ got from it was that the man was the son of that couple, who abandoned him at birth only to replace him years later with another child. It's very tragic and fits the title perfectly, so I'm almost certain I came to the right conclusion."

_Deidara is full of surprises._

Suddenly, Tsunade's hazel eyes lit up as she smacked a fist into her open palm. "That's it! I _must_ get his autograph!" In the next moment, the woman's determination simmered only to be replaced with aggravation as she clicked her tongue. "But that will have to wait. I still have so many things to do!"

As the agitated maid spoke, she procured the empty plate and fork from his fingers then rushed back to the hall.

_At least I was done with it._

Shrugging lightly, Kakashi glanced around and decided he was done in there. Picking up his dinner companion, whom neither Tsunade or Deidara mentioned, he rose from his seat and followed the trail of Tsunade's retreat out the door. As he exited, Naruto's loud voice drifted toward him. Peering around the corner, he was met with the sight of a distraught-looking Hinata.

_She's awake!_

"You're really awesome for wanting to help Granny, but you need to rest," the host explained in a haste. "She told me you might collapse if you move around too much! What sort of person would I be if I let that happen?"

Hinata stared at him solemnly, a plea in her wide eyes—still not uttering a single word.

"No...no, Hinata, don't look at me like that. I need to put my foot down on this." Naruto puffed his cheeks, searching around the corridor, probably for help. "Uh...what do I do, dattebayo?"

_Naruto…you're hopeless._

Kakashi shook his head as he pushed off the wall and rounded the corner. They both looked to him as he approached.

"Need a hand, Naruto?" he offered, lifting his arm in a casual greeting.

The blond's eyes instantly lit up at the suggestion, a wide grin spreading across his cheeks. "You're awesome, dattebayo! Can you walk her to Granny's room? I want to, but she would seriously hurt me if I abandoned the host stand."

That was exactly what he was going to suggest. Maybe now he could talk to her.

Masking his anticipation with apathy, he raised his shoulders lazily. "Why not?"

The bellhop's glee increased, if that was even possible, as he turned back to the silent girl. "Hinata, this is Kakashi. Have you met him yet?"

She nodded.

"Sorry for telling you 'no'...but I'm just trying to look out for you."

Hinata offered a small smile, which made Naruto's eyes soften as he stared at her. Kakashi rolled his eyes and ruffled those blond spikes as he passed, hopefully shaking off the boy's lovestruck daze.

"Come on, Hinata."

She looked to him and nodded again, hesitating only a moment before waving at Naruto as she turned and followed Kakashi through the double doors.

As they passed the threshold, Kakashi paused. _Where_ was he going?

Groaning internally, he lifted a hand to rub the back of his neck as he glanced down at the raven-haired girl. "So…you'll have to lead the way on this one. I actually have no idea where Tsunade's room is located."

Hinata looked up at him with widened eyes.

"Hey, now, that's not fair," Kakashi defended, clicking his tongue. "I'm not an employee, you know. I'm not supposed to know these things. Of course," he winked, "that doesn't stop me from trying."

Hinata smiled softly at that before walking ahead of him through the lobby. He was grateful that she took the lead so easily and followed her through the door Orochimaru had disappeared behind earlier.

It seemed like a golden opportunity to learn another hotel secret, but he was only met with a dimly lit hallway and a scattered arrangement of doors. Strangely, it was the only corridor with carpet.

Well, that was disappointing. The doors could still be hiding something interesting, but the only eye-catching part of the hall was yet _another_ apple painting hanging on the wall, which seemed to also draw Hinata's attention.

"You know, I never understood art," Kakashi revealed, tilting his head as he absently counted three red apples. "What's the point of this painting? It's just a bunch of apples. Is that supposed to mean something? Don't get me wrong, I like art fine, but I just don't get it."

Hinata silently stared at the painting another moment, not even reacting to his commentary, before tearing her gaze away sadly and moving on, passing a second set of stairs as she walked. She stopped in front of a door on the left side of the hall and twisted the handle. Glancing down at the hand pushing on the door, Kakashi glimpsed the mysterious bracelet tauntingly catching the light.

He _needed_ to know. Why pass up this opportunity?

"Hinata," he voiced, alerting her attention.

She turned to face him, but a heavy exhaustion had dominated her countenance—her lavender eyes worn and half-lidded.

The sight made him pause. She looked like she was on the verge of collapse. Naruto was right to be concerned.

_Damnit…_

"Nevermind," he smiled reassuringly. "It can wait. Why don't you get some sleep?"

Hinata nodded gratefully and shut the door.

Kakashi sighed, running a hand through his silver strands. He would come back at eight—like Tsunade asked.

Turning on his heel, he made for the exit. He might as well update Naruto on Hinata's safe return.

When he reached the end of the lobby, he heard footsteps on the stairs. Shifting his gaze, he saw Chiyo slowly descending with a small frown in place. As her foot touched the ground floor, she lifted her gaze. Her expression brightened when it landed on him.

"Oh! Is that you, Mr. Hatake? Have you eaten?"

"Yeah, I just finished."

Chiyo hummed airily in response, her eyes slipping closed. "And how did the restaurant fare? I hope it's tasty!"

"It was good...which shocked me."

"That's good news!" Chiyo's smile stretched with glee. Opening her eyes, then, she set a long stare on him. "Mr. Hatake…I have a bit of a favor to ask of you. Can you spare a moment for an old woman?"

Kakashi was hesitant to respond. Who knew what sort of obscure favor she would ask from him?

…But the prospect was too intriguing to ignore.

He nodded.

"I was wondering if you might escort me to the restaurant," Chiyo stated. Leaning forward, she patted a hand gently against her knee. "I had some trouble with my legs recently and I don't wish to fall on the way."

Kakashi's anticipation deflated as his shoulders drooped. That was it?

"Uh..."

"I don't mean to impose, but I don't know who else to ask."

He _really_ didn't want to do that. Raising his hands in front of him, he put on a smile. "Listen, I—"

"Wonderful!" Chiyo clapped her hands together, instantly cutting him off. "It's settled then! I'll just take your arm." With an impish twinkle in her eyes and a self-satisfied giggle, the elderly woman stepped closer—with surprising agility—and looped her arm through his. "Shall we go?"

Kakashi grimaced but accepted the forced embrace of his limb. Wriggling out of her grasp and coming up with a proper excuse would be too much of a hassle. It would be much easier if he did as she requested. And, he had to admit…the woman's giddiness was also somewhat endearing.

Releasing a resigned sigh, Kakashi continued his journey through the doors, a small smile on his face expressing his amusement as the elderly woman hummed softly beside him. When they passed the vacant host stand, his humor increased, but it was accompanied by an eye roll. So much for Naruto not abandoning his post.

He walked mechanically down the hall toward the dining area. The path barely took any effort to remember. When the entrance finally came into view, he stopped and extended his free hand to push open the door for her.

"Here you go."

Chiyo smiled gratefully as she relinquished her hold on him. "Thank you! You're a true gentleman."

The compliment brought a wave of discomfort over the ex-detective, but he brushed it away with a dismissive tone. "Now, don't you get me confused with someone else, Chiyo. I had nothing better to do."

"Is that so?" the woman questioned, tilting her head curiously as she peered up at him. "Well, either way, I'm grateful. As you get on in years, you learn to appreciate simple acts of kindness. I know I do," she chuckled to herself. "I have another favor to ask of you. Would you mind seeing me again this evening?"

Kakashi arched a dubious brow, once again taken aback by her choice of words. "...Seeing you?"

"You look so concerned!" Chiyo laughed throatily, waving a hand in front of her. "There's nothing to worry about. You just look like the sort of man who can enjoy a good drink. I would like to buy you a glass in exchange for some company. What do you think?"

_All this free stuff…I'm getting the royal treatment at this place._

"Alright, Chiyo," he nodded finally. "A drink sounds good to me. There's a bar right there," directing his hand behind him, he indicated the glowing sign. "It opens at nine. Does that work for you?"

"Splendidly! Well, I'll be going now. I'll see you soon."

With a final smile and dip of her head, the old woman sauntered slowly into the dining room, and Kakashi let the door fall closed behind her. He was actually looking forward to that drink. Chiyo was an interesting woman.

"Hey, Kakashi Officer!" a booming voice suddenly exclaimed behind him.

_I wonder who that could be..._

Rolling his eyes, Kakashi angled his head to the side, catching the energetic Uzumaki in a warning glare. "Naruto, is discretion entirely lost on you?"

"Sorry, sorry. I was just surprised. What are you doing back here? Are you still hungry?"

"No, I was escorting someone to the restaurant."

Naruto scratched his head, eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "Escorting? Who?" A spark of inspiration spread across his irises, then, before an impish grin curled onto his lips. "Ooh! Was it _Sakura_?"

Kakashi relaxed his eyes into a dull stare. "No," he returned flatly. "It was the old lady from 212."

"Oh…" Naruto grimaced. "I didn't know you were attracted to old people."

"Naruto," Kakashi began as his patience waned, "You're an idiot. She asked me to help her."

"Well, look at you!" the blond exclaimed through a laugh, settling his hands onto his hips. "Hatake Kakashi, Savior of the Elderly!"

…

"_Obito! Thank you so much for helping my wife with her shopping this morning. You were a life-saver."_

_Obito's face lit up at the praise—onyx eyes beaming to match his toothy grin. "You don't have to go that far. I'm just glad I was able to help."_

"_You're always helping us," the elderly man returned. He lifted a basket brimming with sweets onto the detective's desk, his own tender smile in place as Obito's eyes widened. "This is from both of us. To thank you for your generosity."_

_With that, the old man turned and walked back the way he had come, the elevator already open to receive him._

_Kakashi rolled his eyes from his position beside the overjoyed Uchiha, a teasing smirk in place from the display he had just witnessed. "I finally get it. Your obsession with helping old people is because they cater to your addiction. How clever of you. Clever and somewhat low."_

_Obito ignored the taunting, his actions set on tearing open the gift basket to retrieve two lollipops. Removing the wrapping from the first one, he plopped it into his mouth before setting the other in front of his partner. "There. It's grape, not that you deserve it. Keep making fun of me, Kakashi, and I'll stop sharing these with you."_

_The silver-haired detective shrugged but accepted the hard candy. "It's not my fault you make it so easy. You get goody baskets from old people and keep their fan mail taped around the office." As he spoke, he flourished his hand around them to the various letters and drawings lining the wall of Obito's desk._

_The Uchiha frowned, a discernible pout in place that was slightly obscured by the candy in his mouth. "It's not fan mail, you jerk. They're just expressing their gratitude."_

"_Whatever it is, I can't promise I'll ever stop teasing you for it," Kakashi concluded with a smirk. "That's the price you pay for being the savior of the elderly."_

…

Kakashi closed his eyes, releasing a slow exhale as he anchored himself back to the present. He couldn't get caught up in memories around Naruto. He shouldn't get caught up in them at all, in fact. There was a fondness there that he could still associate with them, but the rest was just painful. Despite knowing that, though, he always allowed himself to be pulled back in. Even with this, he was acting as Obito always did—aiding the elderly in their times of need. It's like he was asking for the memories to surface. Perhaps he was just a glutton for punishment.

Pushing away those musings, he returned his attention to those familiar cerulean eyes and crossed his arms, adopting a chiding tone. "Be grateful, Naruto. I just did your job for you. What happened to manning the host stand?"

"Granny called me in to do some cleaning!" the young bellhop wailed miserably. "It's not my fault, dattebayo!" Naruto jutted his lip into a pout and slipped his hand into his pocket when his eyes widened. "Oh, right. While I was in there, I found this." Retracting his arm, he held out an ornate black pen on his palm. "It was under your table, so I thought you might like it back."

Kakashi arched a brow at that. "Naruto, do I look like the kind of person who owns a fountain pen?"

"Uh...no?"

Peering closer at the object, Kakashi noticed the words _To Sasori, with love_ etched into the pen in silver letters. "Look, there's an inscription."

Naruto blinked once in confusion before he also leaned forward to get a better look. "Sasori?"

"Is there anyone staying here tonight with that name?"

"I don't know," the bellhop shook his head. "I'll have to check with Orochimaru."

"Do it. I want to find out who this pen belongs to."

He wasn't sure what made him so motivated to follow this random trail, but he had a hunch that it would lead somewhere.

"I'll hold onto it for now."

Naruto nodded, easily accepting Kakashi's decision as he handed the pen over.

As the older man was slipping it into his pocket, a loud yell reached their ears from the kitchen. "Naruto? Naruto! I need your help! Get in here _right_ _now_! Chop-chop!"

Naruto groaned, rolling his eyes. "Great...Granny is on my case again. I'd better go see what she wants."

"Good thinking."

Naruto waved once before dashing off toward the swinging white door. So that was the kitchen.

Nodding in approval at this newest piece of random information, Kakashi exited the corridor and proceeded up the stairs—surprisingly without any interruptions. Standing at the top of the landing, he realized he had two options: he could go to his room and hunt down that _glorious_ bookmark for Deidara or he could return Sarada's doll.

Turning slightly, he moved to rap his fist lightly on 219, holding the plush figure behind his back. Deidara could wait.

A moment later, the door opened to reveal the youngest occupant of Hotel Dusk, dark eyes staring up at him in confusion.

"...Oh. It's you. My dad isn't here."

Interesting. Where was he?

"That's okay," Kakashi responded, leaning down so he could match her height. "I'm here to see you."

The girl backtracked into the room. "...Why?"

_I just come off the wrong way to these two, don't I?_

Hanging his head, Kakashi sighed as he moved his arm to reveal the doll. "You forgot something in the restaurant. This is yours, right?"

"Oh..." Sarada's gaze was fixed on the plush, eyes wide in a mixture of surprise and sadness.

"It's okay. Take it."

The girl nodded hesitantly before reaching her hands forward to retrieve the doll from his grasp. She cradled the toy in her arms, her eyes never leaving it. "T-thank you. Mama made this for me."

Kakashi's stare softened slightly. "It must be important."

"Yeah...it is."

"Then maybe you shouldn't throw it at people."

Sarada's eyes instantly snapped up to him. "I didn't mean to! I was upset and...," she sighed, shaking her head. "Nevermind."

Kakashi watched her closely another moment, before he straightened once more.

"Where did your dad go, Sarada?"

"I don't know," the girl mumbled. Her posture tensed as she directed her eyes pointedly away from him. "I'm sure he went somewhere so didn't have to see me anymore. He hates me."

"Hm," Kakashi hummed lightly. "I doubt that."

Sarada's attention returned to him as her lower lip trembled. "But he's always mad at me!"

"Maybe it's not you he's mad at," he shrugged. "Maybe he's got something else on his mind and watching his daughter misbehave sets him off. I thought you wanted to make this trip easy on him."

"I've been trying, but nothing I do ends up helping. I only make it worse!"

Kakashi rested his face in his palm and released a weary sigh. He was out of his element with this. "Look, kid...I'm not good at this, so I don't know what to say to make you feel better."

Sarada lowered her gaze, her fingers tightening around her doll as she pulled it closer to her chest. A short silence ensued before she sighed and murmured, "Could you...maybe stay here for a little while? Just until my papa gets back?"

Kakashi blinked, surprised at the level of trust her request conveyed, but that didn't make it a good idea. Sasuke was already suspicious of him. "I don't know about that."

"It's fine," Sarada roller her eyes irritably. "I can decide things for myself, and I've decided that you're trustworthy. You've been helping me ever since you got here. Now, come in."

With that, she abruptly turned and walked into the room, leaving the door open behind her. From his vantage point, he watched her place the precious doll on one of the two beds, snuggling it under the covers. He felt a small smile form as he witnessed this more carefree side of the girl.

Sarada already looked brighter by acting bossy. Maybe cheering her up would be a good start to figuring out whatever problem she had with her dad.

Hesitating only another moment, he stepped forward and closed the door behind him. He didn't miss the triumphant smirk on Sarada's face when he moved past the entryway into her line of sight.

"Are you hungry? I have some dumplings in the fridge." She indicated the mini fridge with a minimal sweep of her hand.

_A fridge, huh? Their room is much nicer than mine. I suppose that's what you get when you're not cheap._

He brushed off her offer with a shrug. He had just eaten, after all. "That's tempting, but I wouldn't want to hurt myself."

Sarada rolled her eyes again. "Do you ever answer questions _normally_? When I asked how you knew my name, you said 'adults know everything'. That didn't tell me anything."

Kakashi felt a hint of mocking amusement at her frustration but he maintained his impassive demeanor and simply raised his shoulders once more. "Consider it being creative."

"Or annoyingly vague."

He closed his eyes and pulled the corners of his lips into a purposefully annoying smile.

As predicted, Sarada groaned in exasperation and dropped the subject. "What is your name, by the way?"

"Kakashi."

"Interesting name...," she mused. Kakashi tilted his head only for her to laugh then walk to a small table where her puzzle rested. It was almost complete. "Do you want to work on this with me?"

"You sure you don't want the joy of completing it by yourself?" he quipped, an easy smirk in place.

Sarada let out an indignant huff, placing a hand on her hip as she stared at him. "For your information, I've finished this puzzle seven times already. I'm being nice by making an exception to let you help." She then adjusted her glasses with a final click of her tongue and lowered herself into a chair.

_Seven times? Impressive._

Kakashi chuckled and relented, dropping himself to the chair across her. "I'm flattered."

A comfortable silence fell over them as they took turns filling in pieces of the puzzle. Kakashi was assigned the boring task of sorting through the dual-toned sand shapes while Sarada tackled the diverse shades of blues and greens for the ocean. She chose the fun section for herself.

As the overhead clock ticked away, Kakashi recalled how much he enjoyed puzzles. They were a great way to pass the time and kept his mind blissfully occupied. He would have to purchase a few on his way home tomorrow.

Just when he was placing one of his final pieces in the sandy shore, he noticed that Sarada's eyes had adopted a distant look. Lifting his gaze to meet her own, he watched as her frown deepened.

"My mama gave this to me for my birthday."

That…explained a lot.

He kept up his composure, however, and responded with a casual tone. "Yeah? When's your birthday?"

"March 31st."

"March, huh? A spring birthday, then," Kakashi noted as he placed his last piece in the corner. "Was your birthday fun?"

Sarada stilled, her hand hovering over the puzzle. A glistening shine radiating from her eyes as they filled with moisture.

Wrong question.

"That's the day my mama left."

"Oh..."

_Damnit._

"Why do you think she left?" Sarada asked in a shaky voice. Her hand trembled as it curled around the puzzle piece. "Why do you think she never said anything to me? She didn't even say goodbye. She—," she cut herself off with a barely restrained sob.

Kakashi stared uncomfortably at the emotional girl in front of him. He felt sorry for her, but he was not an optimal choice for consoling anyone. These situations only made him feel awkward. There had to be something he could do, though. It seemed worse to sit there doing nothing.

_Wait...On the back of that puzzle piece..._

Reaching forward, he untangled the piece from Sarada's loose grip and placed it in the empty space, successfully finishing the puzzle, before gently flipping it over. In black letters, the words _Goodbye, Sarada_ were written onto the back.

Kakashi's eyes softened. If her mom wrote this message, she wasn't planning on coming home.

"Sarada—"

He was interrupted by the sudden sound of the door opening and black spikes coming into view.

Sasuke paused in the entryway, confusion evident in his expression. "Kakashi? What are you doing here?"

Sarada swiped a hand against her eyes, looking away from her father as she snapped, "We were talking."

"I told you not to let anyone in our room," Sasuke chastised, his patience seeming to thin with her disrespectful tone and supposed recklessness. "You don't know anything about this man!"

Kakashi lifted his hands in front of him as he rose calmly from the chair. "Hey, don't yell at the kid."

Sasuke's dark orbs flared. "I've had quite enough of—"

"I let myself in," Kakashi informed the concerned parent. "She didn't do anything wrong. Sorry about this."

The other man held his glare a moment longer, before he slipped his eyes closed and exhaled heavily. "At least you understand. Now leave."

"I'm going," Kakashi nodded but didn't move. He wanted to see if he could find some answers before he left. "But first, I have a question. Why did your wife leave you?"

"What?!" Sasuke grit his teeth, alarm and rage reflected in his shaking fists. He turned his focus to his daughter, then, his tone accusing. "Sarada, what have you been telling him?!"

Sarada merely shook her head, her eyes watering all over again.

"Damnit...," the dark-haired male cursed under his breath, before lifting his eyes back to the composed salesman. "Kakashi, every family has its problems. I would appreciate it if you stopped nosing into mine."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "Believe it or not, these questions aren't for my benefit. They're for Sarada's. I think your daughter deserves to know why her mother abandoned her."

Whatever was left of Sasuke's resolve shattered. "Get out! If you bother my family again, I won't hesitate to get you thrown out of here!"

Kakashi held his erratic glare a moment longer before walking toward the door. Once he was in the hall, the still fuming parent slammed the door behind him. He might have made the situation worse, but if there was a chance Sasuke would finally explain his wife's disappearance to his daughter, then it would be worth it.

_Oh, right. Ugh…I have to track down Deidara's glorious bookmark._

With a resigned sigh, he dragged himself across the hall to his room, where he proceeded to look in the cardboard box that had once contained the artist's mysterious notebook. It seemed empty, but a bookmark could have easily slipped into the cracks. He flipped the box and tap his palm against the bottom until a blur of color fluttered to the ground.

Dropping the box, he bent down to examine the coveted item. The bookmark had a blue tassel at the top, but the more intriguing part was the image depicted on it of a girl in a blue dress. No, that was the angel. She had luminescent blue wings that faded into the background of turquoise and purple clouds. It looked ethereal.

_Is this a professional art piece?_

Maybe Deidara could provide him with some answers. If he could get him to stop ranting for a few minutes, of course.

After procuring the bookmark from the floor, he returned to the second-floor corridor and locked his door behind him before sauntering past the stairwell until he reached 211. He raised a fist to knock lightly on the wood.

The door opened rather abruptly, and Kakashi barely managed to catch himself as he was met with the intense blue gaze of Deidara's visible eye.

"Oh, Kakashi. I had a feeling it was you, un. Did you find my bookmark?"

"Yeah, I found it," Kakashi replied. He extended his arm so that Deidara could easily take the bookmark.

The man looked overjoyed as he accepted it and held it up to the light. "Ah! I'm so glad it wasn't lost!"

Deciding to cut short the dramatics, Kakashi cleared his throat and gestured to the bookmark. "The picture on the front...Do you know who did it?"

"You noticed!" the artist's mouth widened with glee. "It's breathtaking, isn't it? Do you recognize the name Coverdale?"

"Should I?"

"Why are people so uneducated in the world of beauty?" Deidara tsked, shaking his head in an admonishing fashion. "Samael Coverdale is a famous painter, and this particular piece marked the pinnacle of his artistic career. His life is surrounded by mystery, but we do know that he was a British painter from the late nineteenth century. This bookmark," he flattened it on his palm so they could both see it, "is a reproduction of his most famous painting, _Angel Opening a Door._ It's a personal favorite of mine, un."

"Is it normal for an artist to brag so much about someone else's work?"

Deidara laughed in response. "Just because we share the same profession doesn't make us enemies. In fact, our bond is deepened by our similar paths!" He placed his free hand against his chest and held it there with a proud smile. "You learn more about your own art through the critique of another. Coverdale also uses a masterful display of color in his art, and that naturally appeals to me."

Kakashi arched a curious brow. "I heard that you went more for that dark mysterious aspect. Lots of shading and minimal colors."

"Oh," Deidara's enthusiasm seemed to deflate as he returned his arm to his side. "You must be referring to _Betrayal_. It's true that I took that route with my first painting, but I've been experimenting with the use of more color in my latest works." His single eye stared into space as it had once before in the dining room. Kakashi braced himself for the return of the eccentrics. "I want my art to be _eye_ _catching_! Color explodes off the page in a way that shadows never do! Coverdale understood that concept, so you could say he's a role model of sorts."

_Coverdale...sounds like an interesting fellow._

"Oh, yes, do you see the key held in the angel's hands?"

Kakashi didn't, but he leaned forward to glean the bookmark more carefully. Sure enough, the angel's palms were turned upward, and a small gold key was placed there. Was she receiving it or accepting it?

"Yeah…What about it?"

"That key and the word 'door' in the paintings title is what creates the true enigma of this image. No door is shown, but the angel holds the key to open it. It spurs the imagination, doesn't it, un?"

This was torture.

"It sure does," Kakashi agreed in a bored voice. It was time to make his escape. "Anyway, if you don't need anything else, I need to go. I've gotta take a work call."

"Of course! The work never sleeps, as we artist's say!"

_I doubt anyone actually says that._

Deidara waved goodbye and closed the door.

Finally…but that left him to wonder what he should do with the rest of his time.

Kakashi quickly decided he might as well kill some time reading until Hinata was ready to talk, but as he passed 218, he heard a faint banging.

Inclining his head toward the noise, he stepped closer to investigate and knocked idly on the door.

"Hey? Is someone in there?"

Through the blocked threshold, he heard muted sniffling. Was someone crying?

"Go away."

_Sarada?_

Kakashi furrowed his brow, concern faintly creeping in. What happened to her?

"Hey, kid, what are you doing in there? Your room is 219."

His response was a choked sob as the girl whispered, "…Leave me alone."

Not gonna happen.

He wrapped his hand around the door handle, but it wouldn't budge.

_Damnit…Sarada locked herself in the room._


End file.
